2023 F1 calendar draft leaked; Chinese GP set to return

F1 has reportedly finalized the first draft of the 2023 season calendar after it was leaked and some changes are in order.

The current 22-race campaign is far from over but the sport already has its sights set on next year, which promises to be the longest F1 season yet.

According to a report from F1insider.com based out of Germany, the 2023 calendar could have as many as 24 races, the maximum number allowed under current FIA protocols.

As per the aforementioned report, the season opener will be held in Sakhir, Bahrain in the first week of March. The Shanghai International Circuit is set to return after a three-year hiatus owing to the Covid-19 pandemic in the middle of April.

Monte Carlo appears to have retained its place on the calendar for the last week of May as is tradition, despite the perennial speculation surrounding its future in recent months.

Losail will return to the calendar after taking a gap this year to focus on the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The inaugural Las Vegas GP is slated to be the penultimate race weekend next year.

Circuit Paul Ricard is the lone casualty from the current calendar, as was predicted after the 2022 F1 French GP earlier this year. The plans to return to South Africa for the first time in three decades also appear to have been temporarily halted as of now.

Here is the leaked 2023 F1 calendar that is making the rounds:

March 05: Sakhir / Bahrain

March 19: Jeddah / Saudi Arabia

April 02: Melbourne / Australia

April 16: Shanghai / China

April 30: Baku / Azerbaijan

May 07: Miami / USA

21. May: Imola / Italy

May 28: Monte Carlo / Monaco

04. June: Barcelona / Spain

18. June: Montreal / Canada

02. July: Spielberg / Austria

09. July: Silverstone / England

23. July: Spa / Belgium

July 30: Budapest / Hungary

August 27: Zandvoort / Netherlands

03. September: Monza / Italy

September 17: Singapore

September 24: Suzuka / Japan

08. October: Doha / Qatar

October 22: Austin / USA

October 29: Mexico City / Mexico

05. November: Sao Paulo / Brazil

November 18: Las Vegas / USA

November 26: Yas-Island / Abu Dhabi

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Stefano Domnicali hinted at 24 race season for next year during 2022 F1 Dutch GP weekend

The aforementioned reports and calendar leaks may not be entirely accurate as they are yet to be officially confirmed by the FIA.

However, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali did hint at the number of races for the upcoming season and the report is consistent in that regard.

The Italian made an impromptu stop to the commentators box at the Circuit Zandvoort during the 2022 F1 Dutch GP, where he was asked about how the 2023 calendar was shaping up. Domenicali said:

"Looking good, looking good. I think it's looking good and its great because we have a queue of people that want to promote Formula 1 races around the world. Of course, there is a limit on which we need to work together with our friends at the FIA. And I think that on that respect, we're going to limit the calendar around the number that is more or less on the edge."

The sport has been raking in huge profits this season with a windfall of $744 million between Q2 of 2021 and 2022. This could rise even further with the elongation of next season.