The Australian Grand Prix has been moved from March to November due to the number of Covid-19 cases in the country. AFP
The Australian Grand Prix has been moved from March to November due to the number of Covid-19 cases in the country. AFP
The Australian Grand Prix has been moved from March to November due to the number of Covid-19 cases in the country. AFP
The Australian Grand Prix has been moved from March to November due to the number of Covid-19 cases in the country. AFP

Formula One postpones Australian Grand Prix until November


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Formula One postponed the Australian Grand Prix from March to November, with Bahrain opening the season and China's race left hanging, as Covid-19 forced the sport to rewrite the 2021 calendar on Tuesday.

Italy's Imola circuit was added to the record 23-round schedule as the second race on April 18, after Bahrain on March 28.

The third slot on May 2 was still to be confirmed but is expected to be filled by Portugal's Algarve circuit, which debuted last year.

Australia was given a new date of November 21 for what would normally be the season-opener in Melbourne.

China's race in Shanghai was postponed due to ongoing travel restrictions making the scheduled date impossible.

While not listed on the revised schedule, Formula One indicated China would be slotted in if circumstances allowed and another race dropped off. The calendar will not stretch beyond 23 races.

Both the Australian and Chinese races were cancelled entirely last year as the pandemic ripped up the sporting calendar, with the season reduced to 17 grands prix in Europe and the Middle East.

"We are pleased to confirm that the number of races planned for the season remains unchanged," Formula One's new chief executive Stefano Domenicali said.

"The global pandemic has not yet allowed life to return to normal, but we showed in 2020 that we can race safely as the first international sport to return and we have the experience and plans in place to deliver on our season.

"It is great news that we have already been able to agree a rescheduled date for the Australian Grand Prix in November and are continuing to work with our Chinese colleagues to find a solution to race there in 2021 if something changes."

Tickets for the Australian Grand Prix had yet to go on sale and local organisers said it was the right decision to reschedule.

"As the third-last race of the season, this provides the opportunity to safely host what could be the championship-decider in Melbourne in the lead-in to summer," said Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Paul Little.

The new calendar, which is subject to approval by the governing FIA, also features three successive triple-headers.

Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy are held on successive weekends from August 29 to September 12 with Russia, Singapore and Japan from September 26 to October 10 and then the US Grand Prix, Mexico and Brazil from October 24 to November 7.

None of the American races happened last year due to the pandemic while the Netherlands, Singapore and Japan were also cancelled.

The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will take place on December 5, a week before the season-ending Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Formula One said it expected fans to return to the grandstands and the exclusive Paddock Club during the 2021 season after most races were held behind closed doors last year.

______________________________

Revised F1 calendar 

March 28 - Bahrain, Sakhir

April 18 - Italy, Imola

May 2 - To be confirmed

May 9 - Spain, Barcelona

May 23 - Monaco

June 6 - Azerbaijan, Baku

June 13 - Canada, Montreal

June 27 - France, Le Castellet

July 4 - Austria, Spielberg

July 18 - Britain, Silverstone

Aug 1 - Hungary, Budapest

Aug 29 - Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps

Sept 5 - Netherlands, Zandvoort

Sept 12 - Italy, Monza

Sept 26 - Russia, Sochi

Oct 3 - Singapore

Oct 10 - Japan, Suzuka

Oct 24 - United States, Austin

Oct 31 - Mexico, Mexico City

Nov 7 - Brazil, Sao Paulo

Nov 21 - Australia, Melbourne

Dec 5 - Saudi Arabia, Jeddah

Dec 12 - Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina

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Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

 


 

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

Scoreline

Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')

Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')

Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'

TOURNAMENT INFO

Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia

UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri

Company name: Play:Date

Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day

Founder: Shamim Kassibawi

Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US

Sector: Tech 

Size: 20 employees

Stage of funding: Seed

Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund

UAE and Russia in numbers

UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years

Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018

More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE

Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE

The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023