Formula 1’s most famous event, the Monaco Grand Prix, is in doubt amid the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.
So far the Principality has three confirmed cases of the Covid-19 illness, leading the government to take the drastic action of closing all non-essential public places late on Saturday.
Though no timeline for the end of the closures was given, it likely means work constructing the street circuit in Monte Carlo, which began this week, will be delayed and therefore not be completed in time for the May 23 date currently set for the Grand Prix.
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Traditionally, the Monaco GP has been held on the final weekend of May and it’s unknown at this point if the Automobile Club de Monaco, who organises the race, would be open to rescheduling or whether it would simply be cancelled until 2021.
If it’s the latter, it would be the first time since 1954 that the Grand Prix had not taken place, when it was run under sportscar rules and not the F2 regulations F1 was using at that time.
Elsewhere, questions are also now growing over the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June, the race many were predicting could become the new 2020 season opener.
Last weekend, sports events in the country were called off due to the growing number of Covid-19 cases and on Monday, some who had gotten visas to travel for the race were told they had been cancelled in another signal the race may well fall victim to the Coronavirus.