TRAVEL CAPS AND SLOW VACCINATION BEHIND AUSGP CANCELLATION

A reduction of international arrivals and a slow vaccine rollout contributed to the cancellation of Australian Formula 1 and MotoGP rounds for a second straight year.

Yesterday it was announced by the Victorian Minister for tourism, sport and major events, Martin Pakula that two of the biggest motorsport events in the country would not take place as planned.

He explained that when the Formula 1 Grand Prix was scheduled, it was expected that almost the entirety of the nation would be fully vaccinated, as we currently stand, just 9% of Australians have received both doses.

“It’s been a very difficult set of discussions between the government, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and Formula 1 management,” Pakula said.

“It’s certainly not where we expected to be when we announced the November date back in January.

“If you recall back then, the clear expectation was that Australia would fundamentally be fully vaccinated by October, and that gave us confidence to set a November date for the Formula 1, by agreement with Formula 1 management.

“In the intervening period of course, it’s become clear that we’ll be nowhere near those levels.

“Then the decision of the national cabinet on Friday regarding the halving of international arrivals, and the maintenance of existing quarantine arrangements for the balance of the year.

“(This all) really made it extremely difficult for these events to go ahead.

“What made that more difficult is that quite legitimately Formula 1, and MotoGP required assurances, undertakings and guarantees, this week about the conduct of those events.

“I really do want to emphasise that I take no issue with the fact that those organisations needed that assurance this week, and they need to have contingencies in place.”

It is anticipated that the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne and the MotoGP round at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit will return next year.

While the MotoGP round is expected to fill its usual spot, the Formula 1 race will most likely move back from the traditional position as the season opener to the third or fourth round according to Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Paul Little.

“We are thinking April is a date that we would like to be able to make some positive moves on at this point in time,” Little said.

“We need to follow through till the end of this year, we need to see what vaccination rates are like, we need to see what the federal government does with visitation rights, off the back of that (and then) we’ll know a lot more about whether or not April is viable.

“There are no guarantees, we’re working with Formula 1, with management to try and work towards that date but at this point in time, we’ve just been dealing with the event that was to be held in November.”

Paluka continued, explaining how the discussion about April came about and why Australia is unlikely to be the first round in 2022.

“We’ve been talking about April with F1 for some time,” Pakula revealed.

“This year other events went into that first and second race slot, and I think F1 is keen to continue with those events being the first and second race of the year.

“We’ve been looking at April for some period of time, it’s not set in stone. We’ll continue those discussions.”

Although Australia appears to have lost its status as the first event of the season, Pakula believes it is not the end of the world.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve lost anything,” he felt. “The fact is that Formula 1 looks at the calendar every year and every year it changes.

“We didn’t have it this year, it’s unlikely to be the first race next year, but frankly, that probably suits us.”

As well as not holding Formula 1 and MotoGP rounds in Australia this year, Eugene Arocca cemented the fact that Australia would not see a return of international motorsport events in the immediate future.

He explained that Australia would not host a round of the FIA World Rally Championship until 2023.

Arocca said Motorsport Australia was aiming to win back a place on the WRC calendar with the new venue having already begun the necessary discussions and funding applications with different levels of government.

“Regaining our place on the international calendar for the WRC is no easy task but we are determined to work with stakeholders and governments to secure a venue, and the necessary funding,” Arocca said.

“Hosting international events in the near-term remains an obvious challenge but we must plan for the future, and we are hopeful we can get the support needed to bring Rally Australia back and put on a world-class event.”

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