Over this past weekend, a provisional calendar was leaked for the 2021 Formula One season which included 22 races and suggested a new Saudi Arabian GP will take place near the end of the season.
One of the most unexpected features of the leaked calendar was that the Australian Grand Prix had apparently been moved from its usual March run date to late October.
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Andrew Westacott, the head of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, has come out refuting this claim, insisting that “Melbourne will again host the F1 season opener in the traditional March timeslot, which will form a significant part of the recovery of the major sports and events industry in Victoria.”
This announcement also confirms that the Australian GP will still be held in Melbourne – something which had been called into question in light of the region’s heavy travel restrictions.
Westacott’s comments have casted doubt over the authenticity of the entire leaked provisional calendar.
“The Australian Grand Prix Corporation is in regular dialogue with Formula One on the 2021 provisional calendar, which will be published in the coming weeks,” he added.
The 2021 calendar will almost certainly be impacted in some way by COVID-19 restrictions and uncertainty, and as such, has the potential for change even after the provisional calendar has been officially released.
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