Formula 1 has announced the Dutch, Spanish and Monaco Grand Prix’s have all been postponed amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
The decision was widely expected after the sport’s bosses had indicated they were targeting the “end of May” to try and start the 2020 season after also confirming Bahrain and Vietnamese GP’s would also not go ahead as planned.
And in a statement on Wednesday, F1 management confirmed: “In view of the continued global spread of COVID-19 and after ongoing discussions with the FIA and the three promoters it has today been confirmed that the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2020, Formula 1 Gran Premio De España 2020 and Formula 1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2020 will be postponed.
Also Read:
- Why coronavirus isn’t the only threat to F1 replanning its 2020 calendar
- FIA confirms extended factory shutdowns to occur before end of April
- Questions asked over team finances amid lost F1 revenue
“Due to the ongoing and fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation globally, Formula 1, the FIA and the three promoters have taken these decisions in order to ensure the health and safety of the travelling staff, championship participants and fans, which remains our primary concern.
“Formula 1 and the FIA continue to work closely with affected promoters and local authorities to monitor the situation and take the appropriate amount of time to study the viability of potential alternative dates for each Grand Prix later in the year should the situation improve.
“Formula 1 and the FIA expect to begin the 2020 Championship season as soon as it’s safe to do so after May and will continue to regularly monitor the ongoing COVID-19 situation.”
This announcement then takes the number of races impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak so far to seven and comes as F1, the FIA and team bosses met via video conference on Thursday to try and reach a consensus on how the calendar can be reformed.
Like F1’s other new-for-2020 race in Vietnam, the ongoing situation is a bitter blow to the Dutch GP, which is set to return for the first time since 1985 at Zandvoort.
Over the winter, the circuit has undergone considerable renovations to prepare for the event and huge crowds were guaranteed thanks to the popularity of Max Verstappen, the man who really is solely responsible for the race being revived.
Meanwhile, in Barcelona, the postponement could mark the end of the Spanish GP after 19 years in the city if it isn’t rescheduled.
The 2020 race was only a one-year extension to the contract that expired after last season and it’s unlikely to be renewed for 2021.
Finally, in Monaco, this news is historic as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of F1 has taken place every year since 1954.
And because of the logistical challenge of building the circuit, and the fact it’s the only race not to pay a hosting fee, finding a new date this year is highly unlikely.
The Azerbaijan GP is now the first race that could go ahead on time on June 7, though even that appears uncertain after some set to travel to Baku for the race revealed their visas had been cancelled earlier this week.
InsideRacing will, of course, bring any updates as they are released.