Formula 1 has announced the next two races scheduled for 2020 in Bahrain and Vietnam have been postponed.
The news was expected in the wake of the decision to cancel this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix on Friday after a McLaren team member tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday.
Next weekend’s event in Sakhir was already set to take place behind closed doors as a precaution to limit the spread of the Covid-19 illness, while the inaugural Vietnam race had been thrown into doubt due to travel restrictions put in place by the government.
“Following the announcement of the Australian Grand Prix’s cancellation this week and the ongoing and fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation globally, Formula 1, the FIA and the 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,” a statement read.
“Formula 1 and the FIA continue to work closely with the race promoters in Bahrain and Vietnam and the 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.
“As a result, Formula 1 and the FIA expect to begin the Championship in Europe at the end of May but given the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Europe in recent days, this will be regularly reviewed.”
Though not mentioned in the press release, the claim that the new season may be called off until the end of May also puts the Dutch, Spanish and Monaco GP’s into doubt.
Indeed, officials in Monte Carlo confirmed they will begin circuit preparations for the race in May mindful of the possibility for a postponement due to the Coronavirus.
And in the wake of the cancellation of Australia, it was rumoured F1 could postpone the championship until the Azerbaijan GP on June 7, though that hasn’t been made official.
“The global situation regarding COVID-19 is fluid and very difficult to predict and it’s right we take time to assess the situation and make the right decisions,” F1 CEO Chase Carey said.
“We are taking this decision with the FIA and our promoters to ensure the safety of everyone involved in Formula 1 and our fans.
“The Bahrain Grand Prix is an exciting race in our schedule, and we look forward to being back there as soon as we can. We are also looking forward to Vietnam’s inaugural race and bringing the spectacle of F1 to one of the most exciting cities in the world.”
FIA president Jean Todt added: “Protecting people first. Together with Formula 1, the Bahrain Motor Federation, the Vietnamese Motorsports Association, and the local promoters, postponing both the Bahrain and Vietnam Grands Prix, as with the Australian Grand Prix, was the only possible decision given all of the information currently available to us.
“We continue to rely on the input and advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and governments and will work with them throughout this unpredictable period to safeguard the fans, competitors and all of the motorsport community.”