Victoria's Minister of Sport saluted F1's decision to push the Australian GP back to November, a change that should allow organisers to run their event in a safe environment.
Formula 1 published on Tuesday a revised 2021 calendar that featured several changes. Both Australian and Chinese races are postponed, but Melbourne has been assigned a new date, November 21.
Current travel and mandatory quarantine restrictions in Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic are expected to remain in force for the forthcoming future, rendering F1's presence in Melbourne and the organization of the opening round of the 2021 season impossible.
"This is the right decision and we thank Formula 1 management for their co-operation in setting a new schedule for the 2021 season," said Martin Pakula, Victoria’s Minister for Sport.
"The Australian Grand Prix is one of the great events in the world and we’ll make sure it can be run safely and successfully in November."
Melbourne's new assigned slot on November 21 means the event could host a championship-decider race.
"As the third-last race of the season, this provides the opportunity to safely host what could be the championship-decider in Melbourne in the lead-in to summer," said Paul Little, Chairman of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.
"We’d like to thank our loyal motorsport fans and employees for their understanding in these challenging times."
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