Japanese Formula One Grand Prix 2021 cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic

The 2021 Japanese Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic for the second progressive year, race coordinators said on Wednesday. The race was scheduled to happen at Suzuka on 10 October, however, F1 said the Japanese government had reassessed because of the country’s pandemic circumstance.

Formula 1 has reported that the 2021 Japanese Grand Prix has been dropped, with race coordinators refering to “ongoing complexities” identified with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The race, which was additionally cancelled last year because of the Covid circumstance, was expected to be held in mid-October, the third event in an arranged triple-header after the Russian Grand Prix and the rescheduled Turkish GP.

The cancellation of the race, planned for the weekend of October 8-10 at the Suzuka circuit, follows the surrender of Singapore’s October 1-3 night race.

However, on Wednesday morning it was declared the race at the Suzuka circuit would not be going on.

“Following ongoing discussions with the promoter and authorities in Japan, the decision has been taken by the Japanese government to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of the pandemic in the country,” Formula One said in a statement.

“Formula One is now working on the details of the revised calendar and will announce the final details in the coming weeks.”

“Formula 1 has proven this year, and in 2020, that we can adapt and find solutions to the ongoing uncertainties and is excited by the level of interest in locations to host Formula 1 events this year and beyond.”

Japan recently hosted the Olympic Games in Tokyo without the presence of onlookers, while the Paralympic competitions, scheduled from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5, will likewise be held without fans in participation.

Notwithstanding the Olympics, and soon to be Paralympics, ready to run in Japan, Moto GP cancelled their race in Motegi prior in the year, issues have now been raised around Formula One heading to Suzuka in the most recent calendar blow for Formula One, who were hoping to do a 23-race strong season.

It additionally implies Honda, who leave Formula One toward the finish of the season, will not have the option to say goodbye to the sport at their home track.

The Japanese maker presently gives engines to both Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

It comes months after the Singapore Grand Prix was cancelled for the second time in a row because of COVID-19 limitations with Formula One rebuilding the calendar again.

Specialists concurred it won’t be feasible to hold the event with regards to immigration limitations in the city-state.

It’s the most recent reshuffle for Formula One, with Turkey momentarily on the calendar as a replacement for the Canadian GP, which was cancelled because of the nature of the pandemic.

The Chinese Grand Prix was delayed because of comparable reasons, yet there is trust it could join at the tail-end of the season if conditions change.

There has been some discussion of a doubleheader in Texas towards the finish of the season, with Qatar another viable option to join the Formula One calendar, with the additional option of the second race in Bahrain, like last season.

However, nothing has been affirmed by F1 in regards to what might supplant Japan, which was because of occurring 8-10 October.

There are as yet developing doubts over rounds in Turkey, Mexico, and Brazil, with each of the three countries at present on the UK red list.

It at present means anybody returning should quarantine for 10 days in a government-approved hotel, which would have a knock-on impact for following races.

Formula One is working under severe health protocols, with teams in “bubbles” and incessant testing for COVID-19 of all personnel and media.

The season has effectively seen the cancellation of races in Australia and Singapore and the destiny of the Chinese Grand Prix initially scheduled for April in Shanghai stays not yet decided.

The cancellation of the Japanese race comes about two weeks after the completion of the Tokyo Olympics, which were held under strict protocols.

New diseases in Tokyo significantly increased during the 17 days of the Olympics, which completed on Aug. 8, albeit medical experts said the surge was not straightforwardly connected to the Games.

The Japanese Grand Prix was likewise cancelled in 2020 and was last held in 2019.

As well as the now empty October 10 date to supplant Japan, F1 presently can’t seem to conclude any replacement for the Australian GP on 21 November, with extra Middle East races in Bahrain or Qatar, believed to be among the potential outcomes.

The cancellation of the race at Suzuka implies there will be no final home race for Honda before it leaves F1 toward the finish of the season, and the Japanese producer’s chief officer for brand and communication operations, Koji Watanabe, says it is an especially painful decision.

“It is unfortunate that, for a second consecutive year, it has not been possible to hold the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix at Suzuka,” Watanabe said. “As Honda, we are particularly disappointed, because this is the final year of our Formula 1 project and we know that so many fans were looking forward to attending the event.

“The 2021 season is now heading for an exciting climax and we will be giving our all, fighting hard all the way to achieve our goal of winning the championships as this Honda Formula 1 project comes to an end and we hope our fans will continue to support us. Lastly, as the title sponsor of the event, we would like to thank MOBILITYLAND and Formula 1 for working so hard right up to the very last moment, to try and stage the Grand Prix.”

The cancellation of the Suzuka race could spell trouble for the Turkish Grand Prix which was added to the calendar as a replacement for Singapore’s cancelled race.

The race at the Istanbul Park circuit was slotted in a week before Suzuka and one week after the Russian round in Sochi yet there could be more reshuffle to the calendar.

Turkey is on the British government’s “red list” of nations that require 10 days of hotel quarantine for bringing travelers back. By remaining in Japan for a few additional days, Formula One might have avoided that quarantine prerequisite.

Most of the series is being arranged in Europe and the Middle East this season, with coordinators initially planning 23 races.

The 11th race was held last weekend when French driver Esteban Ocon won a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix in front of Lewis Hamilton.

The Japanese government pushed ahead with the Tokyo Olympics, which were deferred by a year in light of the Covid pandemic.

New infections in Tokyo significantly increased during the 17 days of the Olympics, which completed on Aug. 8, albeit medical specialists said the surge was not straightforwardly connected to the Games.

Surely, the Chinese and Australian Grands Prix have effectively been cancelled for the current year. The Turkish Grand Prix, as well, was first cancelled, then, at that point moved to October, with concessions for these progressions found as a France-Austria-Austria triple-header. Motorsport.com reports that one of the alternatives on the table for F1 is another recurrent Grand Prix. For this situation, that would mean the second race in Bahrain.

The issue F1 is currently confronting, however, is that Turkey is on the U.K’s. red list and anybody getting back from that point needs to spend 10 days in quarantine. The sport has more than 1,000 U.K.- based personnel, so the expectation was to a great extent to stay away from the issue by using Japan as an intermediary.

With the nation experiencing a surge in COVID cases following the unpopular Olympics, Japan decided to close down the Grand Prix notwithstanding guarantees that F1 would contract private departures from Istanbul, get everybody tested in transit in, and just travel between the circuit and hotels.

UK travel list limitations are not relied upon to introduce a challenge to F1’s further’s reorganization of the calendar, RaceFans comprehends, as they did prior in the year when Turkey was taken out from the calendar. That race was subsequently restored as a replacement for the cancelled Singapore Grand Prix.

Japan’s MotoGP, which was likewise scheduled to happen in October, was rejected in June.

The figure-of-eight Suzuka circuit, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2022, has hosted 31 GPs since 1987, with the drivers’ world title being decided there on 11 events.

In April, Japanese Grand Prix promoters and F1 chiefs reported that the race would stay at Suzuka until 2024.