The leadership of the premier class of motorsport initially looked at a replacement race in Qatar or two Grand Prix in a row in Singapore, but those options have also been dropped after ‘constructive talks’. Qatar was in trouble with a view to the World Cup later this year, and the high temperatures at the end of September also caused doubts. For Singapore, where there is racing on a street circuit, it would be a hell of a job to paralyze the area around the circuit for two weeks.
The management of Formula 1 has come to the conclusion that the commercial interest does not outweigh the costs that teams and other involved have to incur. A race in Europe is also not an option, due to the strict rules of the European Union regarding freight traffic. That would be a logistical nightmare for the racing stables. For example, the seven teams based in England would first have to return to their base camp after such a European race, unpack their cargo there, pack them up again and only then be able to fly to Singapore. The associated costs also affect the budget cap of 140 million dollars that the teams must adhere to.
Due to the decision, this season will have not two, but one so-called triple-header. The Grand Prix of Belgium (August 28), the Netherlands (September 4) and Italy (September 11) will follow immediately after the summer break. After two weekends of rest, the races in Singapore (October 2) and Japan (October 9) will follow.