Calendar gives “high confidence” for “return to normality” – Brown

McLaren boss Zak Brown says the official announcement of a provisional 23-race calendar for 2021 gives him “high confidence” that F1 can “return to a level of normality” next season.

This season was expected to be the sport’s biggest yet, with 22 races planned, but the original calendar was scrapped due to Covid-19 and replaced with a delayed 17-race schedule, which will finish next month in Abu Dhabi.

The teams were given sight of the plans ahead of the last event in Imola and despite the last-minute cancellation of the Vietnam race Brown believes things are looking good for next year.

“This is extremely positive news for the sport: its teams, partners, promoters, media and, most of all, fans,” said Brown.

“It is testament to the incredible ongoing work and diligence of F1, the FIA, promoters and all the teams that Formula 1 is now able to announce a full calendar for 2021.

“We will continue to work closely with Formula 1 and the FIA, who have set a leading example with the teams in the way they have implemented the return to racing through stringent and effective protocols and procedures.

“This collective experience gives us high confidence that the sport will return to a level of normality for the 2021 season.”

The calendar, which is still to be approved by the World Motorsport Council, has a somewhat more normal feel to it but includes several triple-headers and will see a return to the Netherlands and a new race in Saudi Arabia.

Brown added that it had been an “outstanding achievement” for the sport to run to the extent it has this season, claiming it is “the only global sport to return to full competition this year.”

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