Formula 1 is still suffering from the coronavirus in 2021, so the season opener in Melbourne has already been moved to a new date in November. Yet it seems that the Australian Grand Prix might have 'just' gone ahead in March.
Australian Open will go-ahead
Another major sporting event in Melbourne, the Australian Open, will go ahead. The tennis tournament will start on 8 February and the Dutch NOS reports that 30,000 spectators per day are welcome at Melbourne Park. This is about 50% of the normal number of spectators. The tennis players were all quarantined for 14 days on arrival in Australia, something that is not possible for F1.
Formula 1 was actually due to touch down at Albert Park in Melbourne just over a month later, but the race has been moved to a later date in the season due to COVID-19.
The coronavirus figures in Australia
Australia has had the coronavirus well under control for several months, with only a few positive cases per day. On 12 January, the day Formula 1 presented a new calendar, 20 people in Australia tested positive for the virus. Half a month later the number stands at six.