Since 1996, Melbourne's Albert Park is the home of the race.Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Australian Grand Prix was canceled for the second consecutive year.The Australian round of MotoGP's world championship was scheduled for 24 Oct.Due to take place between 19-21 November, the Formula 1 event has been cancelled due to tight border controls in Australia.Paul Little, chairman of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, stated that he was "deeply dissatisfied" by the outcome.He said, "We are aware of the challenges Australia faces due to current international travel restrictions and the important importance of vaccinations."The Australian Grand Prix was scheduled for 2020. It was to open the current season in March. However, border controls forced the date to change to November.The November date race was followed only by two more F1 races - Saudi Arabian and Abu Dhabi's season-ending Grand Prix.Australian border regulations require that visitors quarantine for 14 consecutive days. This condition is expected to remain in effect until the end of the year.Organisers of the event eventually cited "restrictions, logistical challenges relating the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic," as the reason for cancelling the event.Stefano Domenicali, chief of Formula 1, said that a 23-race season was still possible, despite the cancellation.He said, "While it's disappointing that we won’t be racing in Australia this year, we are confident that we can deliver a 23 race season in 2021 and have many options to go forward."McLaren's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo stated that the news was a "huge surprise" for drivers, but added that they "understand why".Ricciardo said, "For me personally I can't wait for the chance to race home again. And it'll even more sweeter because it's so long." We are hopeful that things will change in 2022, and that we can see our fans again at Albert Park and put on an amazing show for them.For the second consecutive year, the Australian round of MotoGP's world championship was cancelled at Phillip Island.Event organizers stated that it was impossible to confirm the viability and logistics of the event due to the ongoing pandemic.The Malaysia MotoGP will now take place between 22-24 October, instead of the original dates for the Australia event.Analysis: China Race UnlikelyAndrew Benson, Chief F1 Writer:Formula 1 is having trouble with the autumn season due to the complications of long-distance travel and the various stages of the pandemic around the world.Last month, Singapore was ahead of Australia in cancelling its Grand Prix due to tight border controls. The schedule for October and November is also looking thin.Questions remain about the Japanese and Mexican races at October's beginning and ending, as well the Brazilian event on November 1st.Japan will decide its final race at Suzuka between 8-10 October following the Olympics. Its fate likely hinges on whether or not there are Covid-related issues at the Tokyo Games.Both Brazil and Mexico have high levels of infection. This is why these races were cancelled last year.Mexico City and Sao Paulo both want to host their Grands Prix. F1 could also decide to go along with the vaccine programs that are accelerating around world.This decision was influenced by the fact Sao Paulo stated it expected all its citizens to be double-vaccinated by September and that most F1 team personnel have been fully or near 100% vaccinated.This changes the sport's balance of risk.China, whose race in March was delayed and has not been cancelled yet, has been suggested as a possible destination in November. However, BBC Sport understands that a race there this year is highly unlikely.F1 may add a race in Austin, Texas to fill in any gaps. This is in addition the US Grand Prix 22-24 October and the Bahrain Grand Prix which was held in March. This race could be held on the track's outer circle, which is the same layout that hosted the Sakhir Grand Prix last year.F1 bosses are continuing to explore other options as Domenicali continues to push ahead with his plans for a record-breaking 23 race season.
