Formula One is considering its options after the 2021 Australian Grand Prix was cancelled on Tuesday amid escalating concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Australia was set to play host to the 2021 season-opener, but in January it was announced that the grand prix would be postponed until November, with Bahrain instead hosting the first race of the planned 23-race calendar.
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However, the Australian GP was cancelled this week, just days after the country implemented a mandatory 14-day quarantine period which rendered the event unviable, as the Brazilian GP is scheduled to run just 10 days prior.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said that while the news was disappointing, he remains confident that Formula One will have a 23-race season in 2021.
“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,” Domenicali said on Tuesday.
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“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.”
At the moment, it is believed that Formula 1 is considering a race in China or a second race in Bahrain as a replacement for the 2021 Australian Grand Prix.
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