F1 News

Can Australia still host the inaugural race in 2022? 'We're available to host it!'

Can Australia still host the inaugural race in 2022? 'We're available to host it!'

03-04-2021 15:53 Last update: 17-05-2021 09:28

GPblog.com

Just like last year, Formula 1 in 2021 started in a different way than planned. The Bahrain International Circuit hosted the opening race and the organisation is open to doing that again in 2022.

In recent years we have become accustomed to the Australian Grand Prix as the very first race of the season. Although there is a lot of enthusiasm beforehand to see the cars finally back on track and compare the teams, the spectacle on the track in Melbourne is often not to write home about.

The same cannot be said for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which last weekend once again proved to be one of the best tracks in Formula 1 when it comes to pure racing. A few weeks before that, it also hosted the winter test, something that hadn't been done in the country for a long time.

"I can remember when we organised the test in 2014. This time it was a bit shorter with three days. Hopefully next year we can organize another real winter test with new power sources and new cars," Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, the director of the Bahrain International Circuit told RaceFans.net.

Season opener in Bahrain in 2022?

That Bahrain was allowed to host not only the winter test but also the opening race was a fortunate but logical choice for the circuit, according to Al Khalifa. "With everything that was going on in Australia and so on, to host the pre-season test and the first race here, it just made sense," he explained.

Australia has a contract to hold the season opener again in 2022, but the race for this year has been postponed to November. The next race in March may be a little too soon for the organisers as a result, so Bahrain is keeping itself available.

"The FOM hasn't discussed it yet, but for us it's something we'd really like to see. I think the winter test and opening race here made a lot of sense. I don't know what Australia wants to do or other venues, but I've heard they want to move it to a later date," Al Khalifa concluded with.