Not too surprisingly, the 2021 Japanese Grand Prix – scheduled for October 10, 2021 – has been cancelled due to the continued rise in Delta variant Covid-19 cases in the country.
“The decision has been taken by the Japanese government to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of the pandemic,” said Formula One in a statement.
This is the second consecutive year the Japanese Grand Prix has been cancelled due to Covid-19.
Japan now joins the list of other races in Australia, Canada, China and Singapore which have also been cancelled this season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently on the traditional summer break, the 2021 Formula 1 season is set to resume with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa on August 29, 2021 – with Mercedes’ seven-time defending Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton holding a slim eight-point lead over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the driver standings.