Wellington, 12 January 2022 (TDI): The organizers of the New Zealand Grand Prix announced earlier today that the 2022 edition of the event would be cancelled due to ongoing border control measures.
This is the first time that the Grand Prix has been cancelled since 2001. The Omicron variant continues to disrupt major events and the worldwide economy. This event is no different in this regard.
Earlier, the Toyota racing series had been trimmed down to just one event but TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand, MotorSport New Zealand and promoter SpeedWorks cancelled it altogether.
There aren’t enough Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) spots available for the drivers. Around eight drivers that were set to take part in the event weren’t able to secure a MIQ spot.
“Those eight would have made a big difference to the quality and size of our grid for the GP and had they been able to get here, we would have been able to put on a great show.” -Nicolas Caillol, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand Motorsport Manager.
He further added that they had waited for the last possible moment to allow drivers to come into New Zealand to take part in the event. With the drivers being unable to find MIQ spots it would have greatly affected the size and quality of the grid. They didn’t want to put on a show that was not up to the original vision.
“The New Zealand Grand Prix is one of the most significant events on NZ’s motorsport calendar and the decision to not run in 2022 has not been taken lightly.” -CEO, Elton Goonan.
The event is set to take place at the Hampton Downs and will go ahead as planned. The organizers are expected to announce a replacement for the Grand Prix (which was scheduled to take place on February 12th and 13th) soon.
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