The Australian Grand Prix that was set to run in November has been canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions, the AGP Corporation and Formula 1 announced July 6.
It’s the second consecutive year the event that’s held at Albert Park was called off. The Australian GP was originally slated for March but was postponed to November on the Formula 1 calendar.
“We’re deeply disappointed that for a second consecutive year, both MotoGP and Formula 1 fans won’t be able to see the world’s best riders and drivers compete at the wonderful Phillip Island and Albert Park Grand Prix Circuits,” Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman Paul Little AO said in a release.
“We appreciate the challenge Australia faces with current international travel restrictions and the importance of vaccinations.
“I would like to reassure our motivated and professional staff, suppliers and partners, as well as the Victorian tourism and major events community that we will work tirelessly to deliver these iconic events in 2022.”
It’s one of many F1 events that have been scrapped this season, as Singapore, Canadian and Turkish were all previously announced as canceled. However, the Turkish GP is now scheduled for Oct. 3, replacing Singapore.
“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 and we have a number of options to take forward to replace the place left vacant by the Australian Grand Prix,” Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said. “We will be working through the details of those options in the coming weeks and will provide further updates once those discussions are concluded.”
It’s not yet known what will replace Australia on the calendar.
F1 just finished up back-to-back weekends at the Red Bull Ring in Austria where Max Verstappen came home victorious. The series is set to take on Silverstone (Britain) on July 18.
Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.