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With the spread of new COVID-19 variants and
Canada battling to contain a third wave of the virus, Montreal
public health authorities concluded that even if run behind
closed doors without spectators the risks were too high,
reported the CBC.
F1 officials, according to the CBC, wanted to bypass the
mandatory 14-day quarantine for the hundreds of staff, crew
members and drivers and rely on private medical staff and have
the entire operation run in a bubble.
The race is scheduled to follow on immediately from Azerbaijan,
whose grand prix is scheduled for June 6 in Baku and is due to
go ahead after also being cancelled last year.
"We are continuing our discussions with the promoter in Canada
and have no further comment," an F1 spokesperson told Reuters.
The Autosport website quoted a spokesperson for the Canadian
promoter as saying the radio report referred to "a document of
recommendations from public health.
"We as an organisation have not had confirmation from our public
health officials and won't comment until we get an official
confirmation."
Canada, with some of the world's toughest travel rules, obliges
its citizens and residents arriving from abroad to self-isolate
for 14 days.
International arrivals are required to quarantine for up to
three days in a hotel.
One of Canada's biggest sporting events, it would mark the
second consecutive year the grand prix has been removed from the
F1 schedule due to the spread of COVID-19.
Media reports have suggested Turkey is on standby to be slotted
in as Canada's replacement.
The Istanbul circuit is logistically convenient for freight
coming from Baku and was brought in last year also at short
notice to bolster a calendar ravaged by the pandemic.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto/Alan Baldwin in London;
Editing by Ken Ferris)
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