FORMULA ONE bosses have been forced to scrap the sport’s 70th birthday party due to the coronavirus.
A huge event was being planned for London on May 16th but was being kept under wraps.
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F1 bosses have been forced to cancel their 70th birthday bash
The date was significant as it was the closest weekend to the anniversary of the first F1 race, held at Silverstone on May 13, 1950.
F1’s owners, Liberty Media, were hoping all 20 drivers would turn up at a public event in London to help promote the sport.
It was going to be a similar event to the brilliant London Live in 2017 that was staged in Trafalgar Square but with some classic F1 cars too.
A spokesperson for F1 said: “Due to the ongoing situation regarding Covid-19 we have taken the decision not to proceed with Fan Festivals.
“We have said we expect to start racing again in the summer and for us, the teams and our fans that is our focus.
“We appreciate many fans were looking forward to celebrating our 70th anniversary celebrations in London but at this time it won’t be possible as we have to ensure safety takes priority.”
NERVY WAIT
F1 now faces a nervy wait to see if the Canadian, French, Austrian and British GPs all now go ahead.
They have been forced to either cancel or postpone the opening eight races of the season due to the pandemic.
F1 CEO, Chase Carey, said that he still hoped that the sport would run between 15 and 18 GPs this season.
However, that could prove difficult given the packed schedule, not to mention the inability to run certain races in the winter.
It means that they are now looking at the possibility of extending the season until February or March and doing away with pre-season testing.
With teams already agreeing to delay the introduction of new regulations until 2022, it would mean the season rolls over into the new year before a new one starts again at the end of March.
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Meanwhile, former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone says he would simply write this year off completely.
He said: “What would I do? I think I’d have to say we’re going to close down talk of having any races this year.
“That’s the only thing you could do safely for everybody so nobody starts making silly arrangements which may not be able to happen. It’s unfortunate but that’s how it is.”
Grand Prix fans forced to queue outside of Australian track for two hours after opening time before being told race had been cancelled
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
