This year’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix from Phillip Island is set to have its fate decided by the end of July at the latest.
Speaking with AutoAction, Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott said a call on the race must be made at least three to four months in advance of the scheduled date in late October.
“The status of the race is we are gazetted for that October 25 date and that hasn’t changed,” Westacott told AUTO ACTION.
The AGPC is also responsible for staging the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne every year.
The 2020 Australian Grand Prix was annulled due to COVID-19 concerns, though Westacott explained that the future status of MotoGP round in October is largely in the hands of Australian health authorities.
“We talk every couple of weeks to Dorna (commercial rights holder of MotoGP),” he said.
“We will be totally dictated by the restrictions authorities are talking about in terms of mass gatherings, attendance without crowds, visitation and border controls, restrictions and quarantine periods.
“But I stress it is very much determined by the health, well-bring and evolving situation that will be determined by the medical officials and government rather than the willingness of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.”
Despite being the second worse attended race in 2019, only heading Qatar, the Phillip Island round still draws in over 80,000 spectators annually. But if mass gathering bans remain in place well into the year, there is strong chance that if the round could go ahead, it would be behind closed doors.
As of today, Australia has recorded 6,619 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 71 deaths. Though the nation has seen a significant decrease in case numbers daily since late March, potentially marking the start of an elimination phase.
The 2020 MotoGP has already seen the postponement and cancellation of the first nine rounds, with the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen slated to host the new provisional season-opener after the German Grand Prix requested the series for a new round date.
Source: AutoAction.com.au
