The first ever F1 race in Vietnam was expected to take place in May next year after being postponed this year on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, but now, it has been scrapped from the provisional calendar.

Vietnam’s absence from the schedule will leave a gap between the Chinese Grand Prix on April 11 and the Spanish Grand Prix on May 9.

However, F1 organizers still hope that they can have 23 races if they can find a replacement for the Vietnamese Grand Prix. No official announcement was available on the reasons for Vietnam’s absence and the search for an alternative venue.

The very first F1 race in Vietnam was originally scheduled to be held on the newly built Hanoi Street Circuit in April this year.

In early July, with the pandemic contained in Vietnam, Hanoi authorities had mentioned the possibility of holding the event in November.

However, a second Covid-19 outbreak hit the country later the same month. This prompted organizers to cancel the Vietnamese Grand Prix and remove it from this year’s schedule.