The first race of the 2023 Formula 1 season is still just under four months away. In the meantime, however, the Circus has already identified what will be the opening round of the 2024 World Championship. Contrary to what happened in recent post-pandemic seasons, who have seen the championship always start from the Bahrain circuit where next season will also open and where the winter tests have also been held for some years now, in fact in two years the first round of the year will be organized in Saudi Arabia. The news was ‘spoiled’ by a press release issued by the government of the state of Victoria, in Australia, which announced the confirmation of the Melbourne track on the calendar until at least 2037.
In fact, the note released highlighted how – within the agreement signed in recent days – the Albert Park track would once again host the opening round of the World Championship at least four times within the next 15 years. Of the possible options, however, 2024 was canceled given that in that year the opening tender will be moved to the Saudi country. It should be remembered that the Australian round was the opening round of the Formula 1 season continuously from 1996 to 2019 with the only exceptions of 2006 and 2010. The choice of Saudi Arabia is explained as a form of “respect for the month of Ramadan ”. According to Islamic practice, Ramadan is in fact the month in which fasting is practiced.
In 2024, this anniversary will fall from March 10 to April 8. In 2022 the Saudi Arabian GP, positioned as the second round of the calendar, was held on 27 March and in 2023 it is scheduled for the 19th of the same month. Maintaining the same position in the world championship program would therefore lead to an overlap between the GP and the month dedicated to prayer. So the competition in Gedda will open the ball. Presumably the race will be scheduled for Sunday 3 March. If this were to happen, it would be the ‘earliest’ season as a start date since 2002.
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