Formula 1 and organisers of the Australian Grand Prix are monitoring the situation in the country amid ongoing bushfires.
Devastating bushfires have struck the country across the past few months, with the states of Victoria and New South Wales having taken the worst damage.
The fires have resulted in the deaths of at least 24 people, with thousands displaced, while millions of acres of land has been destroyed.
Australia has been a mainstay on the Formula 1 calendar since 1986 and in 1996 the event switched from Adelaide to Melbourne, the capital of Victoria.
The 2020 season-opening event will take place around the streets of Albert Park, Melbourne, from March 12 to 15.
Air quality has reached “very unhealthy” levels in Melbourne this week as the city suffers from the effects of nearby smoke.
The upcoming Australian Open tennis grand slam is currently going ahead as scheduled, with qualifying matches due to start on 14 January, and the tournament proper on 20 January.
Some sporting events in the country have been abandoned or cancelled, though the majority of those were taking place in capital city Canberra, where air quality reached a hazardous level.
Formula 1 is “in close contact” with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation – the promoter of the grand prix – to monitor the situation.
Initiatives are also set to take place in order to raise money for those affected by the fires, though the exact details are still being finalised.
Formula 1’s sole Australian representative on the grid – Daniel Ricciardo – will sign and raffle the race suit he will wear at this March’s grand prix.
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