Formula One said the decision to cancel the event, scheduled to be held here from October 8 to 10, had been made at the request of the Japanese Government.

The race, which was cancelled last year because of the pandemic, looked set to go ahead following the staging of the Olympics, which came to a close earlier this month.

But with COVID-19 cases remaining on the rise in Japan, a decision has now been taken to call off the Japanese Grand Prix, forcing a possible further calendar reshuffle.

"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," a statement from Formula One read.

"Formula One is now working on the details of the revised calendar and will announce the final details in the coming weeks.

"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 Japanese Grand Prix was scheduled to be the third leg in a Grand Prix triple header after events in Russia and Turkey.

According to motorsport.com, Formula One had implemented a series of measures to ensure the race at the Suzuka Circuit took place.

Among those included the compulsory use of charter flights from Turkish city Istanbul, COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Japan and restrictions on travel within the country in a bid to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Despite the cancellation of the Japanese Grand Prix, the Paralympics are poised to open on August 24.

The Games will largely be held behind closed doors in response to the pandemic.

All events in Tokyo and other prefectures under a state of emergency will be closed to the public, as was the case with the Olympic Games.

Yesterday, Tokyo reported 4,377 new coronavirus cases – a rise of 1,765 from the previous week.