Imola is set to announce that it will once again return to Formula 1’s covid-affected calendar.
When scheduled grands prix were cancelled or postponed in 2020, circuits including Imola, Portimao, Mugello and Istanbul were called up to fill the gaps.
Now, with Melbourne and Shanghai set to be postponed in 2021, Monaco likely to follow suit and the scheduled 25 April race date still vacant, it emerges that Formula 1 is once again putting together a ’plan B’ calendar.
Italian republications including La Repubblica, La Gazzetta dello Sport and Ansa news agency all claim that Imola’s participation on the new 2021 calendar will be confirmed on Tuesday morning.
The Italian circuit is tipped to host its 2021 race on 18 April, with the news to be announced by the president of the Emilia-Romagna region, Stefano Bonaccini, at 9.15am.
In other 2021 race news, Spanish GP venue Barcelona has confirmed that it has inked a race deal with Liberty Media for 2021. The Circuit de Catalunya is already provisionally scheduled to host the race on 9 May.
"We will continue to work to make the Montmelo track a permanent venue (in F1), because Formula 1 for us is not an expense, but an investment," said Catalunya’s business minister Ramon Tremosa.