How F1 pulled off its second pandemic season and its 2022 implications

OPINION: The Formula 1 season just gone was the second to be completed under the dreaded shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in many ways it was much more ‘normal’ than 2020. Here’s the story of how the championship’s various organisers delivered a second challenging campaign, which offers a glimpse at what may be different next time around

Compared to the year before, the 2021 Formula 1 season was much more ‘normal’. Not ‘completely back to normal’, as we’ve all said and hoped for so many times during these infernal pandemic times, but closer than many may have thought this time 12 months ago.

There was no mass cancellation of events – only five of the originally planned calendar had to be dropped (China, Canada, Singapore, Japan and Australia) – and just one repeat track visit this time around. Two drivers tested positive and missed races, down from three in 2020, and at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, a record was set for the first F1 pandemic event being completed without a single positive case recorded. The calendar expanded back to a record level, and this time the championship visited four continents (in 2020 races only took place in Europe and Asia, specifically the Middle East).

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.