INDIANAPOLIS – NTT IndyCar Series officials confirmed Monday that the series would not replace the canceled Toronto round on the schedule, instead opting to stick with a 16-race schedule this season.
The race was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions in Canada.
“The NTT IndyCar Series looks forward to the remainder of a strong and compelling 2021 calendar,” IndyCar officials said in a statement Monday afternoon. “The schedule is set with legendary road and street courses and a daring oval, which have become trademarks to winning the series championship and the Astor Cup. A historic Indianapolis 500, combined with other thrilling and memorable spring events, has highlighted the series’ exciting mix of youth and highly established stars. This year’s 16-race schedule has set the stage for a tremendous stretch run.”
NTT IndyCar Series owner Roger Penske said on June 11 during the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix weekend that it might be better for the series not to reschedule the Honda Indy Toronto and instead move forward with the schedule as it stands.
“We’re not racing at Toronto in 2021,” Penske said at the time. “You have to look at it right now, these makeup races didn’t really help us last year. We made them up in order to have a series in 2020.
“Once we get through this weekend, we will make a decision whether or not we would add another race or not. At this point, we don’t have anything on the schedule to do that.”