PARIS, Jan 12 — The Australian and Chinese F1 Grand Prix, scheduled for March 21 and April 11 in Melbourne and Shanghai, will be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a source close to the organisers. 

The Italian circuit of Imola, which returned last year as the calendar was hastily rearranged in the face of the pandemic, is expected to fill China's slot, AFP learned on Monday, confirming information from several specialised media. 

The two postponed races would be rescheduled in the second half of the year. 

Such a change would make it possible to keep the planned total of 23 GPs in 2021, although one, on 25 April, has still to be allocated a circuit. 

The postponement of Australia would mean the season starts a week later in Bahrain on March 28.

The 2020 season was reduced from 22 to 17 events, all held in Europe, Russia, Turkey or the Gulf, because of the pandemic. — AFP