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ormula One’s (F1) 2021 season opening Grand Prix, the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park in March, is facing postponement due to Australia’s COVID-19 border restrictions.

The event will reportedly be postponed to later in the year in hopes Australia will relax its border restrictions and enforced hotel quarantine, according to Autosport.

Despite the claims, a F1 spokesperson said: “In 2020 we proved that we could return to racing safely and delivered what many thought was impossible in March.”

“We have set out our 2021 calendar and look forward to the return of F1 in March this year,” the spokesperson said.

The report comes after the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne was cancelled last year due to a McLaren mechanic testing positive for COVID-19 just hours before the event was set to begin.

If the Melbourne event is postponed for 2021, the F1 season will commence with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 28, just one week after the planned start date of the Australian Grand Prix.

F1 organisers are still reportedly planning on running a record 23-race season through 2021, despite the recent reports about the Australian event.