The 2021 Formula One racing season is beginning just like the 2020 season – with the announcement of postponed races. In this case, both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix were postponed due to current Covid-19 restrictions.
The 2021 Formula 1 season was scheduled to open in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix – originally on March 21, 2021 – and the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai was to be the third race of the season, originally scheduled to be held on April 11, 2021.
Now, the 2021 Australian Grand Prix has been moved to November 21, 2021 while the Chinese Grand Prix has yet to be rescheduled.
The 2021 Formula 1 racing season will now begin with what had previously been scheduled to be the second race of the season – the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix, on March 28, 2021.
Australia has been an international success story in their battle against the Covid-19 virus and their strict rules on international arrivals [which would affect Formula 1] have been part of the reason.
To make up for the early hole in the schedule caused by the postponement of two races, Formula 1 has added a race at Imola in Italy on April 18, 2021 – and this race will now become the second race of the season.
The third race of the season is currently scheduled for May 2, 2021 and is yet to be confirmed but it is expected to be filled by Portugal’s Portimao circuit following its debut in last year’s Covid-19-affected schedule.
The dates of three grands prix – Brazilian, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi – have been moved to accommodate the postponed Australia race. Brazil moves to 7 November 7, 2021, while the other two have moved to December 5 and 12, 2021, respectively.