Formula One’s First Race of the 2021 Season might be Delayed, Here’s Why

If you have been following Formula One for quite some time, you might remember what happened with the 2020 season. The dates for the races were announced well before they began, as is customary, but, just as the date for the race approached, at the last moment, changes were made. This came as a shock, since the cancellation was just hours before the Australian GP practice began and, what followed suit was a worldwide lockdown that also led to the cancellation of a few races.

It seems history may repeat itself this year, but, this time, the authorities handling F1 are going to be cautious, rather than making announcements at the last moment. Why do we say so? It is because, it seems, if reports are to be believed, the first race of Formula One is going to be postponed quite a bit, owing to the new strain of Coronavirus, which has been spreading like wildfire over the world.

The Australian Grand Prix, which is currently scheduled to begin on the weekend of March 21, 2021, might get held up, mainly due to travel restrictions that will force visitors to quarantine for long periods and heavily restrict outside traffic. Autosport reports suggest that these difficulties in regards to foreign traffic, when coupled with the reports of even more viral strains of the Covid-19 virus might lead to a change in the schedule. They state that “we understand that the Australian Grand Prix now looks set to be postponed until later in the 2021 season” and also state the announcement for the same will be coming later this month.

We ought to note, however, since, in February, Australia is going to host the 2021 Australian Open, an international tennis event and, if entries are going to be allowed, as is being reported, there may be some hope, albeit with the same two-week quarantines before competitions. This however should be taken with a grain of salt, as the two sports are quite different and F1 requires far more personnel.

A final call on staging the Australian Grand Prix will be made in the “coming weeks”, organisers said Tuesday following reports it could be postponed over strict travel restrictions and the emergence of a new strain of Covid-19. There are some reports of the race also being shifted from Melbourne to another location with less stringent rules, but, that is just a rumour and we will have to wait and see what the organisers decide.

Whatever it is that will happen for F1 2021, the race will take place, with a record-setting 23 GPs, in a variety of locations. This season is one to look out for, considering the multiple changes taking place this time, with some notable ones being Sebastian Vettel’s departure from Ferrari to Aston Martin, Carlos Sainz from McLaren to Ferrari and more. It is safe to assume that this season will be a grand affair, even if Covid tries to hamper the fun.

What do you think will happen? Will Formula One be delayed? Or will it shift to another location? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting at us.

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