This year’s Singapore, Azerbaijan and Japanese Grand Prix’s have been officially cancelled, it was confirmed on Friday.
The three races have become increasingly unlikely for different reasons in recent days due to the ongoing impact from coronavirus.
The street races in Marina Bay and Baku face the challenge of constructing their circuits so work often starts several months before the GP itself takes place.
Meanwhile, the cancellation of the historic Japanese round was largely expected following MotoGP’s decision to call off their event at Motegi last month due to travel restrictions.
This means F1 will not be visiting the Land of the Rising Sun for the first time since 1986.
These cancellations pave the way for F1 to add some previously unplanned stops to this year’s calendar, with Mugello tipped to host Ferrari’s 1000th GP on September 13.
Other European venues such as Hockenheim and Jerez are also reportedly ready to step in and fill any empty slots, while Sochi, China and Bahrain have also offered to hold two races.
“We have made significant progress with existing and new promoters on the revised calendar and have been particularly encouraged by the interest that has been shown by new venues in hosting a Formula 1 race during the 2020 season,” a statement commented.
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“We appreciate this is still a time of uncertainty and complexity around the world and will continue to ensure we proceed with the 2020 season in a cautious and flexible way.
“We have detailed and robust safety plans in place to ensure we begin our season in the safest possible way.”
Currently, F1 only has an eight-race calendar confirmed starting with a doubleheader in Austria on July 5 and 12 until the Italian GP at Monza on September 6.