- The Japanese Grand Prix has been cancelled because of rise in Covid cases in the country
- The circuit was scheduled to take place between 8th and 10th October
The Japanese Grand Prix has been cancelled due to the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases in the country.
Formula One reported that the decision has been taken by the nation’s government to cancel the race due to what they termed as ‘ongoing complexities of the pandemic’.
Japan joins a growing list of countries that have cancelled their races including Australia, China, Canada, and Singapore with the Turkish Grand Prix initially cancelled but later reinstated.
It is the second year in a row that the Japan race has not taken place because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the 2019 event disrupted by Typhoon Hagibis.
Japan hosted the season’s final race six times in the late 1990s and early 2000s, however the 2021 calendar will conclude with the first Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on 5 December followed by the finale in Abu Dhabi a week later.
The season continues with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa on 29 August. Mercedes Lewis Hamilton holds a narrow eight-point lead over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the driver standings.
