A everlasting date swap between Australia’s Formulation 1 and MotoGP races is on the desk for 2022 and past.
The 2 occasions, each run by the Australian Grand Prix Company, historically sit at reverse ends of their respective schedules, with Albert Park opening the F1 season in March and Phillip Island internet hosting MotoGP in October.
Nevertheless ongoing journey restrictions because of the pandemic have pressured the postponement of this 12 months’s F1 race, which is now scheduled to happen on 21 November, 4 weeks after the MotoGP race.
In line with AGPC boss Andrew Westacott, this has opened the door for a serious re-think by way of timing for each occasions.
He says there are actually 4 choices in relation to scheduling for 2022 and past, one in every of which is successfully a straight swap between the F1 and MotoGP occasions.
That will preserve the space between the 2, vital for each occasion administration and ticket gross sales, and deal with the common calls from riders to shift Phillip Island to an autumn date in quest of higher climate.
“I am unable to emphasise extremely sufficient that there’s nothing definitive in regards to the calendars in 2022,” Westacott advised Autosport.
“We at all times benefit from the opening race place with Formulation 1. It fits us and it is a main pillar of Melbourne’s main occasions calendar.
“What I’ve additionally stated is {that a} change of the character we have now now, with a November [Formula 1] occasion, offers us the chance to take a look at 4 very distinct situations.
“One is that each occasions are in an early season slot, February or March. One other is each races being in a late season slot, October or November. The standard F1 initially and MotoGP on the finish. Or, the flip – MotoGP initially and F1 on the finish.
“I’ve obtained a really open thoughts about all of these 4 situations, and the professionals and cons and alternatives they current to the game. And the worth these occasions ship for Melbourne.
“All of them are on the desk and a mixture shall be selected when the calendars are finalised throughout the center of this 12 months.
“Bearing in mind custom and new alternatives, I am open-minded. There may be categorically not one choice that has been made on it simply but.”
There are nonetheless no ensures both of the occasions will go forward this 12 months, with Australia’s borders shut to the remainder of the world.
Anyone coming into the nation remains to be topic to 14 days of lodge quarantine, a apply that’s unlikely to be dropped till vaccines are at a big degree of worldwide circulation.
Australia’s personal vaccine programme began right now (Monday) and is predicted to be accomplished by October.
Melbourne did handle to host its first worldwide occasion because the pandemic began, the Australian Open tennis event, this month, however rivals first needed to endure the complete two-week quarantine.
Westacott says learnings from the tennis, in addition to progress on the vaccine entrance, has left him assured the Formulation 1 paddock will make it to Melbourne in November.
“It is at all times advanced, you solely have to take a look at the tennis and the way they’ve approached it,” he added.
“However my view, and the view of the federal government, is that we have now the chance to repeatedly develop and repeatedly enhance the method to staging occasions.
“We have time now to do this, primarily based on learnings from the tennis, from vaccine rollouts, from lodge quarantine, from all types of different health-related approaches. It may stand us in higher stead to stage the occasion in November.”
