Motor racing-2021 Australian F1 Grand Prix and MotoGP race cancelled

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian Grand Prix has been axed for the second year in a row with the 21st round of the Formula One championship a victim of the country's tight border controls, organisers said on Tuesday.

"We regret to announce that the 2021 Australian Grand Prix has been cancelled due to restrictions and logistical challenges relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," organisers said in a statement of the Nov. 21 race.

The Australian round of the MotoGP world championship, scheduled for Phillip Island on Oct. 24, was also cancelled for the second successive year.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and resulting travel complications and logistical restrictions mean it has not been possible to confirm the viability of the event at this time, and it will therefore not feature on the 2021 calendar," organisers said.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, Editing by Jacqueline Wong)