Government not ready to give green-light to Australian GP

Apr.29 - The local state government is not ready to declare that the postponed and rescheduled 2021 Australian GP will definitely be able to go ahead.

When explaining the cancellation of the Canadian GP for the second year in succession, Formula 1 declared in a statement that it was "impossible" for the sport to enter Montreal "without a mandatory 14-day quarantine".

An identical quarantine period was also the reason Melbourne was postponed earlier this year and rescheduled for late November.

Australian grand prix Corporation (AGPC) chief Andrew Westacott, however, is not giving up.

"They (Formula 1) have a very, very rigorous schedule that won't accommodate separate quarantine periods in every one of the jurisdictions where they race," he told Australia's Nine Network broadcaster.

"What we've got to do, in consultation with the health authorities, Formula 1 and the government is an arrangement where they will come into a separated bubble, with no interaction with the general public, to be able to operate between the hotel and the circuit only."

However, a spokesman for the state government of Victoria, in which Melbourne is the capital, insists that a decision about the race is yet to be taken.

"The government's public events team is working closely with the AGPC and health officials to develop a covid-safe event plan that could support the delivery of the race in a covid-safe way," the spokesman said.

"The health and safety of Victorians will take precedence in all decisions made."

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