Organisers and local officials are pledging a "safe and successful" Australian Grand Prix after a new November date was confirmed.
The race in Melbourne was originally set to reassume its traditional duty as the season-opener in March, a year after it was cancelled last minute due to a positive Covid-19 case in the paddock.
However, ongoing restrictions due to the pandemic meant teams would have either had to quarantine in the country for 14 days upon arrival or operate in a bubble.
As a result, the decision has been taken to postpone until November, between the planned Brazilian and Saudi Arabian GP's, returning the Australian GP to the time of year it used to be held in during the Adelaide years.
“This is the right decision and we thank Formula 1 management for their co-operation in setting a new schedule for the 2021 season,” said Martin Pakula, Victoria’s Minister for Sport in a statement.
“The Australian Grand Prix is one of the great events in the world and we’ll make sure it can be run safely and successfully in November.”
Also Read:
- Australian GP delayed, Imola confirmed in revised 2021 F1 calendar
- Todt fears further 2021 F1 calendar disruption due to Covid-19
- Chinese GP confirms request for delayed 2021 race date
Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman, Paul Little AO, added: “We’re very excited to be able to confirm the rescheduling of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix to 18-21 November 2021.
“This wouldn’t have been possible without the strong support of the Victorian Government and Formula 1.
“As the third-last race of the season, this provides the opportunity to safely host what could be the Championship-decider in Melbourne in the lead-in to summer.
“We’d like to thank our loyal motorsport fans and employees for their understanding in these challenging times.”
Bahrain is now set to commence the 2021 season on March 28, and on Tuesday it was also revealed pre-season testing has been moved to Sakhir, taking place on March 12-14.
