F1 Extends China Deal Despite No 2022 Grand Prix

Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - August 1, 2021 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in action. Reuters
Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - August 1, 2021 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in action. Reuters
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F1 Extends China Deal Despite No 2022 Grand Prix

Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - August 1, 2021 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in action. Reuters
Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - August 1, 2021 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in action. Reuters

Formula 1 has extended its contract with the Chinese Grand Prix until 2025, the organization said Saturday, despite the race being dropped from its calendar for next year.

Covid-19 and China's strict travel restrictions prompted the cancellation of the Shanghai event in 2020 and this year. F1 has also not included the race on its 2022 schedule due to "ongoing pandemic conditions".

But that has not stopped it from extending its deal with the world's second-largest economy, which is a major growth market for F1.

"We are very pleased that this new agreement will ensure our fans in China have Formula 1 racing to look forward to in the coming years," F1 said in a statement.

"While we are all disappointed we could not include China on the 2022 calendar ... China will be restored to the calendar as soon as conditions allow and we look forward to being back with the fans as soon as we can," President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said.

F1 last month released a record 23-race schedule for 2022 that included several events -- such as Australia, Canada, Singapore and Japan -- that were axed this year and in 2020 due to the pandemic and subsequent health restrictions.

The Chinese GP, which has been running since 2004, will be replaced by the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola on April 24.

The 2022 season will start in Bahrain on March 20 and end back in the Gulf at Abu Dhabi on November 20.

F1 is growing in popularity in China but the world's most populous nation still lacks a home star.

But there are high hopes that hotly tipped youngster Zhou Guanyu will make the leap up from Formula 2.



Thomas Muller Bids Farewell to Bayern Munich with Loss in Club World Cup

05 July 2025, US, Atlanta: Munich's Thomas Muller sits on the bench ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (dpa)
05 July 2025, US, Atlanta: Munich's Thomas Muller sits on the bench ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (dpa)
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Thomas Muller Bids Farewell to Bayern Munich with Loss in Club World Cup

05 July 2025, US, Atlanta: Munich's Thomas Muller sits on the bench ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (dpa)
05 July 2025, US, Atlanta: Munich's Thomas Muller sits on the bench ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (dpa)

After the final whistle to his Club World Cup, Thomas Muller waved to the Bayern Munich fans one last time.

His quarter-century with the German club is over.

The 35-year-old Muller went out with a 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals on Saturday, a bittersweet ending to a tenure filled with so much glory.

Muller came on as a substitute in the 80th minute and appeared to draw a penalty in the waning seconds of stoppage time when PSG's Nuno Mendes delivered a high challenge in the area.

But the video review showed that Mendes' foot struck the ball, just missing Muller's chin, and that finished off the PSG victory.

“I'm still fully in work mode now,” Muller said. “It doesn't feel much different from before the game when we tried, and I also tried, to just get one round further.”

He wasn't ready to reflect on his brilliant career at Bayern, which began when he joined the club as a 10-year-old in the summer of 2000.

“In the end, maybe we deserved more,” Muller said. “But in football when you have these tight matches, it's sometimes a coin flip. And, yes, we lost it.”

Muller made more appearances than any other player at Bayern, with more than 200 goals scored and more than 200 set up for others. He led the club to a record 13 Bundesliga titles, going out with one last championship this past season.

But Bayern announced in April that it would not extend his hefty contract for another season.

“Of course, I am aware that this was my last game, and I will see what goes through my head in the coming days,” Muller said.

He hasn't revealed his future plans, though there have been reports linking him to a possible move to US-based Major League Soccer.

“At the moment, I'm not in the mood to share my deeper thoughts about my career,” Muller said. “We lost a big fight, a very important game for us.”