The Australian and Chinese Grands Prix have been rescheduled for the 2021 season, which will begin in Bahrain, and Imola has been formally included to the new calendar. The Algarve and Imola were unexpected additions to the significantly disrupted program caused by the coronavirus epidemic in 2020.
The Chinese Grand Prix was due to be held at Shanghai International Circuit from April 25 to 27 this year, but was canceled after a decision was made by race promoter Chang Wun Sheng to cancel all events until May 4 in order to prevent further spread of the virus. This also includes the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, which had been scheduled for April 29-May 2. With no other events planned during that period, it left an empty weekend on the calendar. The only other event scheduled for that time was the NBA China Games, which took place on Saturday, April 25.
The following week saw two more events canceled: the French Open and the Masters Tournament. The French Open was called off after just one day because of rain delays and poor weather conditions that forced the organizers to announce that the event would not go ahead as planned. The same thing happened to the Masters Tournament, which was supposed to take place at Augusta National Golf Club from April 11-14. It was also decided to cancel this event too, so there will be no golf competition this year at all.
The Chinese Grand Prix is expected to be the second Formula One event postponed in 2021, as the organiser pursues a date change later in the year. The race's delay would result in a second open slot in April, in addition to the April 25th date originally planned for the now-cancelled Vietnam race.
The Chinese Grand Prix has been held on the same weekend since it started in Beijing in 1990. It is part of a global series that also includes races in Japan and South Korea.
In November, it was announced that the race would not take place this year due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. At the time, the FIA said that it "continues to monitor the situation" but did not indicate when there might be a return to racing.
Chinese authorities decided to cancel all events beyond an emergency response level until at least May 3rd. This included the rest of this season's schedule as well as the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo and Osaka.
It is not yet clear what impact if any the cancellation will have on China's plans to host the World Championships in 2022. There are concerns that losing such a important race could damage its reputation as a sporting destination and therefore its chances of doing so in the future.
The Australian Grand Prix has been canceled for the second year in a row owing to "restrictions and logistical obstacles" caused by the coronavirus epidemic, according to organizers. The decision was made on Friday after several meetings between representatives of the Formula One industry and government officials.
The F1 season was due to begin on 15 March with pre-season testing in Australia. However, following this announcement the future of racing in Australia remains unclear.
"After careful consideration, we have decided not to proceed with this weekend's race in Melbourne," said series CEO Chase Carey in a statement. "We feel that this is the right thing to do given restrictions and logistical obstacles related to COVID-19. We will continue to monitor developments regarding this virus and will revisit this situation at a later date."
This is the second time this year that the Australian Grand Prix has been cancelled. On 28 January, just before the season began, the event was also called off after then-race promoter Casey Stoner announced he was unable to secure new sponsorship or venue options despite efforts over the previous six months. At the time, Carey said the cancellation would cost the championship $5 million and affect 15 jobs across five cities in Victoria state.
The Australian Grand Prix in 2021 has been postponed. Further information will be provided at a later date.
Due to safety and logistical concerns related to the current COVID-19 outbreak, Formula One's Singapore Grand Prix has been canceled. The event was set for October 3rd, and it would have been the 16th round in the 2021 season of the global motorsport series.
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According to a statement, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC), in collaboration with the Victorian Government and Formula 1, today announced that the 2021 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has been canceled due to restrictions and logistical challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The world's most prestigious single-seater racing series will return on October 4-7, 2022, with an international race scheduled for Melbourne's Albert Park circuit.
Japan's current predicament Fuji International Speedway's event has been canceled. In addition, the MotoGP will not visit the Land of the Rising Sun. Formula One, on the other hand, still has a race in Japan on the calendar, with a race in Suzuka on October 10. However, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has forced all forms of motor racing to be canceled or postponed worldwide, it is unclear when if ever Formula One will return to Japan.
Suzuka was supposed to be the season-opening Grand Prix of 2020 but was also canceled due to the pandemic. The only other cancellation this year was the French Grand Prix which was canceled due to security concerns related to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Japanese Grand Prix had been scheduled for July 4 at Fuji International Speedway, but was canceled due to the outbreak. It was the first time since 2011 that the race had been canceled.
The country has so far reported more than 6,000 cases of the virus and over 150 deaths. Despite the large number of infections, no major cities have been affected like Beijing and Hong Kong when the Chinese Grand Prix was canceled this year.
However, like many countries around the world, Tokyo has been heavily impacted by the virus. With over 700 cases and 26 deaths, it is one of the most affected countries.
Although the sport's social media footprint continues to expand, Formula 1's worldwide audience and unique viewers fell by 4.5 percent and 8 percent, respectively, in 2020. The sport drew an average of 87.4 million viewers per grand prix last year, down from 91.5 million in 2019....
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