Formula 1 is currently in an unforeseen spring break. Initially, races were to be held in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in the month of April, but due to the war in the Middle East, both events were cancelled. Various replacement Grands Prix were suggested, but ultimately the sport opted for a five-week break. Meanwhile, there was lobbying for replacement races; the F1 circus could possibly have landed in Adelaide, Australia, this month.
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In an interview with radio station Triple M, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas stated that he tried to bring Formula 1 to Adelaide in April. “As soon as it became clear they wouldn’t be racing in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, I thought: ‘Hello! Is this an opportunity?”, he said. “So I picked up the phone immediately and asked.” Ultimately, the F1 top brass decided not to organize replacement races. Reportedly, the sport was afraid of logistical problems in delivering teams and parts.
F1 in Adelaide
“If we could have arranged this, everyone would have known a while ago,” Malinauskas continued. “I put it to them and said: ‘I have the team, they have crunched the numbers, we can organize the races within these time limits’. They responded: ‘Leave it to us’. But in the end, they decided to cancel those races without looking for replacements.”
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Nevertheless, it is not ruled out that there will be replacement Grands Prix later this year. After all, races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are scheduled for the end of the year. For now, these can proceed as planned, although the question remains how long Formula 1 and the FIA can guarantee safety there. The sport might still have to divert to other countries and circuits. Adelaide, in any case, has the Parklands Circuit, where primarily the national Supercars championship is held, although it was also the setting for the Australian GP between 1985 and 1995.
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