Australian GP cancelled for second straight year due to coronavirus

The beginning of the 2020 Formula 1 season saw plenty of chaos due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Australia was set to host the season opener in Melbourne. However, a spurt of coronavirus cases – as well as concerns from drivers and teams – saw the race called off. It also saw the season’s start get postponed a few months. Now, for the second year running, the coronavirus has caused the Australian GP to be called off. The news was announced on Tuesday and will come as a blow to the sport.

“The Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) in conjunction with the Victorian Government and Formula 1 today announced the 2021 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has been cancelled due to restrictions and logistical challenges relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” read a statement.

“AGPC will continue to work with Formula 1 and the Victorian Government regarding the 2022 calendar timings for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix event.”

As of now, it remains unclear which race will be added to the calendar to make up for the loss of this one. However, the commitment to a 23-race calendar remains.

“While it is disappointing we won’t be racing in Australia this season, we are confident we can deliver a 23 race season in 2021,” said Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

“We have a number of options to take forward to replace the place left vacant by the Australian Grand Prix.

“We will be working through the details of those options in the coming weeks and will provide further updates once those discussions are concluded.”

Australian GP latest in string of cancellations

The sport has seen a lot of races called off this year, largely due to COVID-19. The Canadian GP was cancelled due to quarantine rules making the race not feasible.

It was then replaced by the Turkish GP – which itself got replaced due to a surge of COVID-19 cases in the country. As a result, two races were held in Austria – much like in the start of 2020.

But there was another twist in the tale. The Singapore GP, scheduled for later in the year, was also called off due to COVD-19 concerns. As a result, the Turkish GP is now back at a later date.

It stands to reason that the sport will either set up a double header at one circuit or go to another one to replace the Australian GP. But as of now, there has been no confirmation of this.

It follows a trend wherein certain races are held with spectators while some are held behind closed doors or cancelled. This is, of course, down largely to how individual governments have handled the pandemic. Formula 1 as a whole has little to no control over this.

How is the 2021 F1 season going?

The season is the first in years to have a proper fight for the world driver’s championship. Lewis Hamilton, the defending champion, currently sits second in the standings behind Max Verstappen.

Indeed, Verstappen and his team Red Bull have been on a roll lately. The team have won the last five races on the trot – with four of those going to Verstappen.

There are currently two races to go before the summer break – the British GP and the Hungarian GP. It will be interesting to see if Hamilton and Mercedes can stage a fightback then.