By Mark Fogarty
Release date: June 26, 2021
If it happens, Supercars will want to take part in the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in November.
However, it must know by September 1st at the latest whether the AGP will resume a round in Albert Park.
The deadline is to make freight arrangements to get the field of supercars back from New Zealand on time.
Supercars supremo Sean Seamer confirmed that talks with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation are ongoing.
“We’re discussing this with the AGPC,” said Seamer. “The other thing we have to work through is our freight schedule to get back from New Zealand on time.
“We are obviously working with Gibson Freight (the shipping company for Supercars) to look into different options for NZ’s return to this event and we hope to have some clarification over the next five to six weeks.”
The postponed F1 Melbourne GP is for May 18-21. November planned – less than two weeks after the Auckland SuperSprint from 6-7. November at the Pukekohe Park Raceway.
At the moment, the Supercars contingent of cars and equipment for sea freight to Auckland and back has been booked.
With the AGP confirmed, supercars will have to decide whether the shipping schedules are still working or whether they need to return via air freight, which costs a lot more.
According to Seamer, reintroducing the AGP as an extra round before the Gold Coast 500 finals December 3-5 is a matter of logistics.,
“From a freight perspective, we should know by September 1st at the latest,” he explained. “That is the absolute drop-dead point when we have to adjust our freight planning.”
The second round of the supercars should take place in mid-March as a major support event in Albert Park until the F1 AGP was postponed.
It was moved to the Sandown stand-by venue in Melbourne from March 20-21 to meet the planned complement of 12 rounds for the 2021 season.
There are still strong doubts that the AGP will take place in November unless the Victoria government grants F1 an exemption from the two-week hotel quarantine prior to the event.
After F1 proves the effectiveness of its COVID-19 protocols, it won’t accept imprisonment for that long – which wouldn’t be possible anyway if the Brazilian GP takes place on November 5-7.
F1 and AGPC are negotiating with Victoria Health Authorities to approve F1 under a tightly controlled six-day “bubble” deal.
That would mean F1 staff are restricted to one airport / hotel / track corridor and the F1 paddock is closed to locals.
Race organizers hope to allow at least 50,000 and up to 100,000 crowds daily, arguing that social distancing can be easily achieved on the sprawling layout of the 5.3 km stretch on the lake.
The semi-street course in Albert Park is getting a slightly new look with the removal of the chicane from Turn 9/10 and the re-profiling of other corners.
It will appear completely new for the AGP 2022 – whether in March or November.
The new pavement course will be the first track renewal since the track was relocated in 1995 before the first F1 Melbourne GP in March ’96.
This year the 25th anniversary of the event is to be celebrated. Supercars have been the top support racing category every year, except in 2007 when the V8s were missing due to a financial dispute
The AGP has been a points round of the Supercars Championship since 2018.
For more current Supercars news, see the latest issue of Auto Action. Also, follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for the latest updates between editions.
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