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THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2021 Japanese Grand Prix cancelled for second year over virus

TOKYO: The Japanese Grand Prix has is especially disappointing to who been cancelled for a second year over will be deprived of a last farewell in front “ongoing complexities” with COVID-19, of their home fans before withdrawing Formula 1 said yesterday. The race was from the sport at the end of the season. due to take place at Suzuka on October Honda engines currently power Red Bull 10, but F1 said the Japanese government and its sister team Alpha Tauri. had pulled the plug due to the country’s Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is current- pandemic situation. ly second in the world drivers’ champi- is currently battling record onship, engaged in a thrilling tussle with coronavirus infections, with , which whose Mercedes team successfully held the recent Olympics are also edging the constructors’ cham- behind closed doors, and other regions pionship. Honda is also, via a subsidiary, under a state of emergency. “The deci- owner of the Suzuka circuit which has sion has been taken by the Japanese hosted the Japanese GP since 2009. government to cancel the race this sea- “It is unfortunate that, for a second son due to ongoing complexities of the consecutive year, it has not been possi- pandemic in the country,” F1 said in a ble to hold the Japanese Formula 1 Grand statement. Prix at Suzuka,” the team said in a state- The move follows Grand Prix cancel- ment. “As Honda, we are particularly dis- lations this season in Australia, China, appointed, because this is the final year Canada and Singapore. F1 said it had yet of our Formula 1 project and we know to decide how to fill the gap but one that so many fans were looking forward option may be to hold a second US race to attending the event.” in Austin, Texas. The figure-of-eight Suzuka circuit, “Formula 1 is now working on the which will celebrate its 60th anniversary details of the revised calendar and will in 2022, has hosted 31 GPs since 1987, announce the final details in the coming with the drivers’ world title being decid- weeks,” the statement said. “Formula 1 ed there on 11 occasions. In April, has proven this year, and in 2020, that Japanese GP promoters and F1 chiefs we can adapt and find solutions to the announced that the race would remain at ongoing uncertainties and is excited by Suzuka until 2024. the level of interest in locations to host Japan has just hosted the Olympic Formula 1 events this year and beyond.” Games, with no spectators allowed in the SUZUKA: This file photo taken on October 7, 2018 shows Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton taking part in the Japan’s MotoGP, which was also sched- stadiums, and is preparing to do the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. — AFP uled to take place in October, was same, under similar conditions, for the scrapped in June. Paralympic Games, which begin next the Delta variant. the fourth time since the beginning of COVID-19 continue to increase and week. Since the end of June, the country A state of emergency has been re- the pandemic. But the system, which exceeded the 20,000 mark across the ‘Unfortunate’ has been experiencing its worst wave of established since mid-July in part of the was extended on Tuesday, seems to be country for the first time on Friday and The cancellation of the Japanese GP coronavirus to date, due in particular to country, including the capital Tokyo, for losing its effectiveness. Daily cases of Saturday. — AFP