Australian Formula One grand prix organisers are hopeful of running the event in April 2022 after it was cancelled for a second straight year.
The multi-million dollar race was scrapped due to concerns from the teams regarding the quarantine hub, while the Australian MotoGP will also not go ahead at Phillip Island this year for the same reason.
Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula said Formula One and MotoGP management needed assurances this week that Australia was unable to deliver on.
He said the country’s low vaccination rate and slash international arrivals had forced their hand.
“Formula One and MotoGP required assurances and undertakings and guarantees this week about the conduct of those events,” Pakula said on Tuesday.
“There’s a few months to go, but they need to plan, and they need to have contingencies in place.
“Given the very low national two-dose-vaccination numbers, and given the decision of National Cabinet on Friday, we’re simply not in a position to give F1 management or MotoGP the sorts of guarantees and assurances and comfort that they need.
“I had a conversation with the CEO of Formula One management Stefano Demetocarli last night and it was a very cordial conversation.
“We have an excellent relationship and I fully expect that these events will occur in 2022.”
The 2021 grand prix had been provisionally pushed back from its regular early-season timeslot to November in the hope COVID-19 restrictions would have eased.
MotoGP was set stage its Australian leg in October.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation chair Paul Little said talks would soon start about an April race, meaning Melbourne will lose its prestigious season-opening status.
“We are thinking April is a date that we would like to be able to make some positive moves on at this point,” Little said.
“We need to see what vaccination rates are like and what the federal government does with visitation rights and off the back of that we will know a lot more if April is viable.
“There are no guarantees.”
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, measures 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 November 19-21 when the Melbourne event was scheduled.
AAP
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