Chinese Grand Prix postponed due to coronavirus crisis, Formula One confirm

The Chinese Grand Prix has been postponed as a response to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The race, scheduled for April 19, had long been in doubt as a result of the spread of the virus, with the Formula E race in China as well as the World Athletics Indoor Championships in the country having already been cancelled.

And on Wednesday, Formula One and the sport’s governing body, the FIA, announced they had accepted a request from race promoters Juss Sports Group for an immediate postponement of the grand prix.

In a statement, Formula One said: “The Chinese Grand Prix has always been a very important part of the F1 calendar and the fans are always incredible.

“We all look forward to racing in China as soon as possible and wish everyone in the country the best during this difficult time.”

The hope remains that the race in Shanghai could be held at a later date in 2020, but that is problematic in an already busy calendar with 21 further races already planned, meaning it could be scrapped altogether in due course this season.

Already, 44,000 people are believed to have been infected with the coronavirus since its outbreak late last year, killing 1,100 people in the process.

The Shanghai Sports General Association had already called on all sporting events to be cancelled in the wake of the virus, with both Formula E and World Athletics quick to react over their respective events.

And following initial talks between Juss Sports Group and the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of People’s Republic of China, and Shanghai Administration of Sports, the request was officially lodged with Formula 1 and FIA for an immediate postponement.

The removal of its place on the calendar in April leaves a sizeable gap in the 2020 season between the Vietnamese Grand Prix on 5 April and the subsequent race in the Netherlands on 3 May.

The announcement means this year’s Chinese Grand Prix is the first to be postponed or cancelled since 2011, when the Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled because of civil unrest in the country.

The wider sporting implications could yet stretch to the Olympic Games with officials in Tokyo last week admitting for the first time that they were “seriously concerned” about the spread of the virus and its potential impact on the Games.