The 2021 edition of the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hours has been cancelled due to the travel restrictions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The race, held at Mount Panorama in Australia, was supposed to be the opening round of the 2021 Intercontinental GT Challenge season.
Sean Seamer, CEO of Supercars, the organiser of the event, said that it would be difficult to hold the race, given the travel restrictions the international entries would have to face.
“This is a tough decision but ultimately one we had to make,” Seamer said.
“Since Supercars began managing the event it has grown to become one of the largest endurance events globally, showcasing our spiritual home of racing to an international audience.
“With Australia’s international borders expected to remain closed, we feel it is in the best interest of competitors, fans, sponsors and broadcasters to make the decision now on next year’s event.
“We are absolutely committed to having the event return to Australia’s motorsport calendar in 2022.”
With Bathurst now off the calendar, SRO Motorsports Group CEO and founder Stephane Ratel has confirmed that the 2021 IGTC season will kick off with the Total 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
“The Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour is one of the world’s great endurance races and an undoubted highlight of SRO Motorsports Group’s global calendar,” Ratel said.
“But we also understand and respect Australia’s international travel restrictions, which make it impossible to stage Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli’s opening round there in February.
“Instead, 2021’s championship will now begin later in the year at the Total 24 Hours of Spa. Mount Panorama remains Intercontinental’s spiritual season opener, and I know I speak for everyone at SRO as well as our manufacturers when I say we cannot wait to return in 2022.”
This means we are probably no more than four weeks away from the cancellation of Melbourne as the opening round of the 2021 Formula One calendar.