The Australian Formula One grand prix has been cancelled for a second straight year due to concerns from the teams regarding the quarantine hub.
The Australian MotoGP will also not go ahead at Phillip Island this year for the same reasons.
“It’s very disappointing that these much-loved events can’t proceed but this is the reality of the pandemic – but until we get much higher vaccination rates we cannot return to more normal settings,” Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula said on Tuesday.
“We are getting to work on plans for 2022 immediately and can’t wait to welcome the world’s best drivers and riders and all motorsport fans back to Albert Park and Phillip Island.”
The 2021 F1 GP had been provisionally pushed back from its regular early-season timeslot to November in the hope COVID-19 restrictions would have eased by then.
The 2020 Australian GP at the Albert Park street circuit in Melbourne was called off at the last moment at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The number of international arrivals are set to be slashed this month as part of a new coronavirus plan, increasing pressure on governments making allowances for athletes while Australians remain stranded overseas.
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation presented a COVID-safe plan to the government, arguing the event could be run safely with the drivers and crews operating within a bubble.
Drivers and their large crews were reluctant to go into hard quarantine, which allowed international tennis players to compete at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Formula One already has a race scheduled in Brazil for November 5-7, leaving little time for a two-week hotel quarantine before the November 19-21 event in Melbourne.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he was confident the tennis would be able to go ahead as scheduled with Australia’s vaccination rates vastly improved by then, while the quarantine situation could look very different for vaccinated visitors.
“The reason I am confident of that is that that’s exactly after the period I’ve just been talking about, where we hopefully hit that magic number,” Andrews said.
“Everyone who wants to be vaccinated, everybody who can be convinced to be vaccinated has been.
“At that point, that critical mass, then we’re not locking down anymore.”
AAP
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