McLaren F1 Driver Lando Norris Tests Positive for COVID-19; Australian GP May Also be in Jeopardy

While the world has turned the calendar to 2021, it still feels a lot like 2020 when it comes to the uncertainty of motorsports, especially Formula 1.

McLaren driver Lando Norris announced today on Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Norris is the fourth Formula 1 driver to test positive. This past season saw Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll and Lewis Hamilton all miss races after positive tests for the virus.

And it’s not just the Lando Norris news that is rocking the Formula 1 world.

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Multiple outlets are reporting that this year’s scheduled season-opening Australian GP may be postponed until later in the season due to travel restrictions and mandatory two weeks of quarantine in a hotel for travelers coming to Australia.

The series earlier announced a record 23-race schedule for 2021, kicking off with the Australian Grand Prix on March 21. That opening race, however, appears to be in jeopardy once again. It was cancelled in 2020 after a crew member for the McLaren F1 team tested positive for the coronavirus during race weekend.

Neither Formula 1 nor Australian GP organizers have offered an official word on the fate of the race or the possibility of a postponement. However, it is worth noting that Formula 1 has yet to begin ticket sales on its website for the race that is just two months away.

Postponement or cancellation of the race in Australia would likely make Bahrain on March 28 the new target for a season-opening race in Formula 1. Bahrain hosted two of the final three races of the 2020 season.

Australia was one of several venues to ultimately lose its race in 2020. Also axed, mainly due to travel restrictions within host countries, were F1 races scheduled at Monaco, Vietnam, China, the Netherlands, Azerbaijan, France, Singapore, Japan, the United States, Mexico and Brazil.

Should Australia be postponed, the first likely opening in the schedule is April 25. That is currently listed as TBA on the Formula 1 schedule. That race date is sandwiched between a race in China on April 11 and a race in Spain on May 9.

2021 F1 SCHEDULE

Here we go again? How many of the 23 races to you think Formula 1 will get in in 2021. Start the discussion in the comments section below.

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