No matter how hard it tries – and with the use of severe restrictions – China cannot get rid of the ghost of Covid-19, and is now giving up on hosting Formula 1 in the country next year.
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This decision comes after a wave of demonstrations in China against health restrictions and for more freedoms. And this despite signs of possible easing by authorities of their strict “zero Covid” policy.
Options under study
Several “alternative options” are being studied by F1 to replace the event and maintain a 24-race schedule, which would be a record.
According to the BBC, F1 staff were not released from quarantine in case of Covid-19 infection, making this race in the country a very risky event for teams with a very tight schedule.
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The absence of the stage in China, for the fourth consecutive season since the start of the pandemic, leaves a gap between the Australian Grand Prix, on April 2, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, on April 30.
With AFP
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