Formula 1 after races cancelled: ''It's uncertain time for everyone''

The Grand Prix of Japan, Singapore and Azerbaijan were officially cancelled by the Formula 1 on Friday morning. Of all three races it was already expected that they would not appear on the new calendar, but that is now official.

Impossible task

Singapore and Azerbaijan are normally already a logistical nightmare, but in the time of the coronavirus it is impossible for the organisation to put this in place. Japan is a different story, but after the MotoGP race one week later was cancelled because of the virus, the cancelled Grand Prix is no surprise.

"Due to the continuing challenges of COVID-19, we and our promoters in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan have decided to cancel their races for the 2020 season. These decisions have been made because of the different challenges our promoters are facing in those countries. In Singapore and Azerbaijan, the long lead times needed to build the street circuits made it impossible to organise the events in a period of uncertainty, and in Japan, the ongoing travel restrictions also led to the decision not to continue with the race'', says the Formula 1 statement.

Positive sound for the future

"At the same time we have made significant progress with existing and new promoters on the revised calendar and have been particularly encouraged by the interest shown by new venues to organize a Formula 1 race during the 2020 season".

"We realise that this is still a time of uncertainty and complexity in the world and we will continue to ensure that we continue the 2020 season in a cautious and flexible manner. We have detailed and robust safety plans to ensure that we start our season in the safest way possible," said the F1 press release.