This archive report was first published on 6 July 2021.
Published on July 6, 2021, the Australian Formula One Grand Prix and MotoGP were initially scheduled to take place in October and November. However, the events have been hit by roadblocks due to Australia's strict quarantine requirements for overseas arrivals.
Organisers of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, led by chief Andrew Westacott, are expected to make an official announcement later on Tuesday. The Formula One race had already been pushed back from its traditional season-opening slot in March to November 21.
The cancellation would mean two years without a race at Melbourne's Albert Park, following the dramatic cancellation of the 2020 event just before the opening practice session. This decision comes after the Singapore Grand Prix was also cancelled over COVID-19 concerns.
While Australia has been successful in containing the coronavirus, Melbourne has struggled through several lockdowns. The city has only recently seen crowds return to sports stadiums, but concerns remain high, particularly with Sydney currently in lockdown due to an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant.
Victoria state premier Dan Andrews had earlier suggested that the cancellation was likely, citing low rates of local vaccination and a reduction in international flights to Australia.
“The timing doesn’t quite line up, and that makes it very, very challenging,” Andrews said. “We work very closely with all of our partners, particularly F1 and indeed the MotoGP as well. But some things are possible in a pandemic and some things are really hard.”
