Organisers of the Australian Grand Prix insist Melbourne will retain its traditional March slot as tꦺhe opening round of the 2021 Formula 1 season.

The Albert Park circuit was scheduled to hold the first race of the original 2020 F1 calendar, but the event was a🔴bandoned at the 11th hour following an outbreak of coronavirus in the Melbourne paddock.

Having been officially cancelled along with the othe🍃r opening ⛎nine rounds that formed the initial schedule, there have been suggestions that next year’s Australian Grand Prix could be moved amid extremely harsh travel restrictions due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns.

According to the speculation, a ‘leaked calendarဣ’ showed that Bahrain would have been brought fo🌃rward to host the curtain-raiser in March instead of Australia, with the Melbourne race pushed back until October.

But in a statement issued to the Nine Netwo꧃rk’s Wide World of Sports🔯, Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott revealed Melbourne will stage the opening round as planned.

"Melbourne will again host the F1 season ♒opener in the traditional March time slot, which will form a significant part of the recovery of the major sports and events industry in Victoria,’ Westacott said.

F1 CEO Chase Carey has said the championship is currently working on finalising a calendar that will 🐎look “closer to normal” after the disruption caused to the 2020 schedule led to the 🐭season being predominantly European-based.

Extra races were ad▨ded at the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Portual and Bahrain to replace cancelled rounds in Asia and the Americas and help form a 17-round world championship season.

It is understood that tཧhe 2021 F1 calendar will feature a minimum o✅f 22 races and include at least one new addition, most likely to be a street race in Saudi Arabia.