Officials in Monaco have insisted that this year’s trio of motorsport events, including the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, will take place after responding to speculation that they were in danger due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Formula 1 did not visit any of its usual street-based venues in 2020, with the high-profile Monaco round called off, along with proposed visits to Azerbaijan and Singapore.
The provisional 2021 calendar has already undergone changes because of the pandemic.
Australia’s planned season-opening round has been pushed back to late November while China’s April event has been indefinitely postponed.
Imola has re-joined as the second event on April 18 while Portimao is poised to be included on May 2, a week before Barcelona’s round.
Monaco usually hosts two motorsport events in May, with Formula E and the Historic Grand Prix alternating, but this year both have been scheduled prior to the Formula 1 round.
Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix is due to take place from May 20 to 23, with the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique from April 23 to 25 and Monaco E-Prix on May 8.
Speculation arose in recent days that Monaco’s motorsport activities for 2021 were in the firing line due to the pandemic but on Monday the Automobile Club de Monaco responded and asserted that plans have not changed.
Construction work on the temporary facility typically begins in early March, with organisers usually setting aside a six-week period in order to ready the streets for motorsport.
Monaco is not currently under lockdown but a curfew is in place between 19:00 and 06:00 daily.
The itinerary for this weekend’s Rallye Monte Carlo, the opening round of the 2021 World Rally Championship, has been altered in order to comply with measures in place in neighbouring France, where the competitive action takes place.
