The Australian Formula One Grand Prix has been canceled for the second year in a row, with Melbourne now set to lose its coveted season-opening status.
The multimillion-dollar race was rescheduled from March to November before it was fully finished on Tuesday, while the October Australian MotoGP will also not go ahead at Phillip Island.
The 2020 Australian GP at the Albert Park Street Circuit was called off at the last minute at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula said this week Formula One and MotoGP management needed assurances that Australia was unable to deliver.
He said the country's low vaccination rate and the federal government's recent decision had forced international arrivals to be curtailed.
Motorsport organizations have a set of conditions for each race and this cannot be managed if drivers and their staff need to be quarantined.
"Formula One and MotoGP need assurances and commitments and guarantees about the conduct of those events this week," Pakula said on Tuesday.
"There are months to go, but they need planning, and they need contingencies.
"Given the very low national two-dose-vaccination numbers, and the decision of the national cabinet on Friday, we are simply not in a position to give F1 management or MotoGP the assurances they need.
"Some 1600 visitors in November, required bespoke quarantine arrangements ... in fact it has become extremely difficult for us to guarantee the organizations that need them."
Formula One already has a race scheduled for 5-7 November in Brazil, with little time left for a two-week hotel quarantine before November 19-21, when the Melbourne schedule was set, while the last in Saudi There was no wrestling room with the two races. Arab and Abu Dhabi in early December.
Australia is not alone with Singapore and Canada both canceling their races for a second year due to safety and logistics concerns associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Pakula said he had spoken with Formula One boss Stefano Dematocarli and expected the event to take place in 2022.
Pakula said April was a likely date, meaning Melbourne would lose its coveted season-opening status.
Bahrain jumped to host the first round this year when the Australian schedule was rescheduled and will be rewarded with hosting the race in 2022.
"We have been talking about April with F1 for some time," Pakula said.
"As you know other events this year went into the first and second slots and I think F1 are looking forward to continuing those events."
Pakula downplayed losing the first race on the calendar, saying there were always changes and a later date suited Melbourne.
He said he did not have data on the economic impact of surrendering stability for the second year.
Formula One and the Victorian government have contracts to run races in Melbourne until 2025, while MotoGP is contracted until 2026.
Pakula and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews both said they hope Australian Open tennis goes ahead and that there could be separate quarantine and testing measures for international visitors as early as 2022, as well as improved national vaccination rates. is.
"The reason I believe it is because the period I'm talking about right now is exactly where we expect that magic number to hit," Andrews said.
"Everybody who wants to be vaccinated, everyone who can be convinced to be vaccinated, has been done.
"At that point, that critical mass, then we're not locked in anymore."