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New target date for Australian Grand Prix: November 21
By Scott Spits
The Australian Grand Prix has found a new date on the 2021 calendar and will go ahead in November "subject to prevailing public health conditions".
Normally the opening event of the Formula One season, it became clear in recent weeks that the Melbourne race would have to be postponed due to the stringent quarantine conditions required by Victorian health authorities.
The Australian Grand Prix has a new target date of November 21.Credit: AP
However, the Victorian government has confirmed a new target date later in the year: November 21.
"The Andrews Labor government, Formula One management and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation have reached agreement on the one-off 21 November date for 2021, acknowledging that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic made the usual season-opening March date unrealistic," said a media release from Sports Minister Martin Pakula.
Last year's Australian Grand Prix was cancelled at the last minute after Formula One teams and hundreds of staff had already arrived in Melbourne.
As the potential impact of COVID-19 on Australia started to emerge last March, the event was abandoned just before practice on the second day of the meeting with fans queuing up outside Albert Park to get in. Crew members from Maclaren had tested positive earlier in the week and that forced officials to take drastic action.
News of the new race date – the final event of the season is scheduled for Abu Dhabi in mid December – comes on the same day as the Victorian government and health authorities publicly revealed the quarantine arrangements for a 1200-strong cohort of tennis players and officials about to arrive in Melbourne on chartered planes for this year's delayed Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
The government has pointed out that quarantine arrangements will be central to the race going ahead on the rescheduled date.
"The operation of the four-day Grand Prix event at Albert Park will be subject to prevailing public health conditions and advice from the Chief Health Officer, with infection prevention and control at the centre of all decisions," the media release said.
"Quarantine and other aspects of the Grand Prix will be considered in due course."
Last week Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville conceded that the question of whether F1 personnel were "willing to quarantine" in Melbourne was central to negotiations.
Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali said: "It is great news that we have already been able to agree a rescheduled date for the Australian Grand Prix.
"The virus situation remains fluid, but we have the experience from last season with all our partners and promoters to adapt accordingly and safely in 2021."
The Melbourne race becomes the third-last race of the F1 season under a rejigged calendar. It will be followed by events in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
However, the Chinese GP remains in doubt due to ongoing travel restrictions. It's mid-April slot has been taken by the Italy's Imola circuit and F1 officials are optimistic about finding a new date for China.
"It is great news that we have already been able to agree a rescheduled date for the Australian Grand Prix in November and are continuing to work with our Chinese colleagues to find a solution to race there in 2021 if something changes," Domenicali told the F1 website.