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The cancellation of the race, scheduled for the weekend of Oct.
8-10 at the Suzuka circuit, follows the abandonment of
Singapore's Oct. 1-3 night race.
"Following ongoing discussions with the promoter and authorities
in Japan the decision has been taken by the Japanese government
to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of
the pandemic in the country," Formula One said in a statement.
"Formula One is now working on the details of the revised
calendar and will announce the final details in the coming
weeks."
Japan recently hosted the Olympic Games in Tokyo without the
presence of spectators, while the Paralympic competitions,
scheduled from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5, will also be held without
fans in attendance.
Formula One is currently operating under strict health
protocols, with teams in 'bubbles' and frequent testing for
COVID-19 of all personnel and media.
The cancellation of the Suzuka race could spell trouble for the
Turkish Grand Prix which was added to the calendar as a
replacement for Singapore's cancelled race.
The race at the Istanbul Park circuit was slotted in a week
before Suzuka and one week after the Russian round in Sochi but
there could be more reshuffle to the calendar.
Turkey is on the British government's "red list" of countries
which require 10 days of hotel quarantine for returning
travellers. By staying in Japan for a few extra days, Formula
One could have bypassed that quarantine requirement.
"Formula One has proven this year, and in 2020, that we can
adapt and find solutions to the ongoing uncertainties and is
excited by the level of interest in locations to host Formula
One events this year and beyond," the governing body said.
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Jason Neely
and Alex Richardson and Christian Radnedge)
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