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Australian F1 and MotoGP races cancelled for 2021

06 July 2021 11:05 (UTC +04:00)

As expected, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation confirmed that neither event will go ahead in the final quarter of this year as planned, APA reports citing Motor sports.

The F1 race had already been moved from March to mid-November.

The move follows failed talks with health officials at state and federal government level over how to bring personnel, including riders and drivers, through Australia's strict closed border.

The idea of a biosphere was floated, at least for the Albert Park F1 race, but failed.

Even bringing personnel through hotel quarantine would have been difficult due to a recent cap on new arrivals in response to the highly-transmissible Delta strain of COVID-19.

Both short-cutting quarantine and utilising the supervised hotel-based system would have been difficult sells on a PR front too, given so many Australians are still unable to return home.

“We understand this is not the news MotoGP and Formula 1 fans wanted to hear," said AGPC CEO Andrew Westacott.

“I would like to extend my thanks to the Victorian Government, Formula 1 and Dorna Sports for their unwavering resilience and support during this challenging period, and for their ongoing commitment to these two great events.

“There are bound to be ongoing challenges with COVID-19, but I want to reassure
fans that while there is sadness and disappointment amongst our wonderful AGPC staff there is a tenacity and determination to make sure the next episodes of MotoGPTM at the Island and Formula 1 at the new Albert Park layout are sensational showcases of how we do things in Victoria.”