The Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, originally scheduled for April 19, has been postponed for an unspecified date due to the coronavirus epidemic, officially known as Covid-19, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced on Wednesday. ).
The Chinese GP was to be the 4th round of the F1 World Championship which will start on March 15 with the Australian GP in Melbourne. It was to be preceded by the GP of Vietnam, organized for the first time in this country, on April 5.
# F1 - 2020 FIA @ F1 Chinese Grand Prix postponed due to novel coronavirus outbreakhttps: //t.co/5ccag89vfK
- FIA (@fia) February 12, 2020The FIA specifies that this decision was taken at the request of the Grand Prix organizers and the Chinese sports authorities and that "the health and safety of F1 teams, participants in the World Championship and the fans remain the main concern".
A month without F1 racing
The FIA is studying with the promoter, F1 officials and the Chinese authorities "the possibility of an alternative date for the Grand Prix later in the year and depending on the evolution of the situation".
The Covid-19 has already killed more than 1,100 people in China, where almost all the deaths have taken place in Hubei province, the cradle of the contagion, of which Wuhan is the capital. The GP was to take place in Shanghai, more than 800 km west of Wuhan.
Outside China, including the autonomous regions of Macao and Hong Kong, nearly 500 cases of contamination have been confirmed in around 30 countries and territories.
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Because of this postponement, there will be a period of almost a month without an F1 race between the GP of Vietnam and that of the Netherlands on May 3. The calendar of the World Championship is currently reduced to 21 events.
