2021 Formula 1 season opener in Australia set to be postponed – Bahrain GP poised to become first race

Last year saw some significant changes being made to the Formula 1 race calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in a total of 17 races being held. For 2021, the motorsport is looking to return to a more “normal” season with a 23-race schedule that was announced in November 2019.

Unfortunately, it looks like the Australian Grand Prix (March 19-21) will not be the season opener for yet another year, as strict quarantine restrictions will see it being postponed, Sky Sports reports. This is due to the Victorian government’s mandatory 14-day quarantine for all personnel involved, which will interfere with F1’s sole three-day pre-season test set for March 2-4.

With this imminent revision, the Bahrain GP (March 26-28) will likely be the new season opener for 2021. It isn’t all bad news, as a postponement is certainly better than an outright cancellation that happened last year, although given the packed schedule, it remains to be seen when the Australian GP will take place.

Also unknown is the fourth race on the calendar from April 23-25, which was supposed to be the Vietnam GP, but was dropped due to alleged political issues over the race. A replacement venue has yet to be announced, although circuits such as Imola and Portimao have been tipped as possibilities.

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