Australia’s grand prix is being postponed for months and China’s may not happen at all, after Formula One rescheduled its 2021 season to accommodate coronavirus restrictions.

The traditional curtain-raiser in Melbourne has been put back eight months – from 21 March to 21 November – while the race in China has not been assigned a date.

The event in Shanghai had been due to take place on 11 April but COVID-19 travel restrictions – as in Australia – mean that is no longer possible.

A race will now only be held in China if another one drops off the schedule.

Last year, both the Australian and Chinese events were cancelled after coronavirus ripped through the sporting calendar, with the season reduced to 17 races in Europe and the Middle East.

Tickets for the 2021 Melbourne event are yet to go on sale, but organisers have backed the lengthy delay.

“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.

Britain’s Lewis Hamilton will now kick off his championship defence in Bahrain on 28 March, before a race at Imola in Italy on 18 April – a circuit which has been added to the schedule.

The third slot on 2 May is still to be confirmed, but is expected to be filled by the Algarve circuit in Portugal, which made its debut last year.

Despite two of the opening three rounds falling off the roster, the sport said it remained confident of staging a record-breaking 23-round campaign.

There will be three series of three races on successive weekends.

Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy (Monza) are being held from 29 Aug to 12 Sept; Russia, Singapore and Japan will be from 26 Sept to 10 Oct; and the United States, Mexico and Brazil will be between 24 October and 7 November.

The final two races are a night event in Jeddah on 5 December, and Abu Dhabi a week later.

“We are pleased to confirm that the number of races planned for the season remains unchanged,” said F1’s new boss, Stefano Domenicali.

“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.”

The new calendar is subject to approval by governing body the FIA.

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