The Vietnamese Grand Prix has been axed from the provisional calendar for next year’s Formula 1 season.
The maiden race in Hanoi had been scheduled to take place in April this year but was called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.
It was then expected to take place for the first time on April 25, 2021 but that space has been left vacant on a 22-race calendar in the wake of a shift of appetite by politicians towards hosting the race.
Hanoi’s People Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung, a key official in setting up the Vietnamese race, was arrested in August on corruption charges.
Those charges are not connected to the race but he had been its loudest supporter and interest has since diminished in the government.
F1 bosses, though, are hopeful they could fill the slot for 2021 with another prospective race to take the calendar up to 23 grands prix, and there are hopes that Vietnam could yet enter the sport for the 2022 season.
The coming season is set to open in Australia on March 21 and reach its conclusion in Abu Dhabi on December 5, with the British Grand Prix scheduled for July 18 at Silverstone.
In addition, the Brazilian Grand Prix will stay at Interlagos for another season. The plan had been to shift the race to Rio de Janeiro for next season but that looks set to be delayed for another year with environmental approval still required for the Rio project.
