Opening F1 rounds still on, but other events

GRAND Prix organisers insist the opening two rounds of the Formula One season will go ahead as scheduled but more sporting events have been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Football, MotoGP and tennis have all been affected by the spread of the Covid-19 strain, yet the season-opening Australian Grand Prix is still due to take place on March 15, with the majority of F1 personnel set to travel to Melbourne at the latter end of this week.

Australian Grand Prix chief executive Andrew Westacott said: “We are all systems go. At this stage there is no indication of further travel bans, nor is there any indication that Formula One and the teams will not be arriving as usual.

“Formula One has again confirmed overnight that the Australian Grand Prix is going ahead.”

Circuit officials for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is set to take place on March 22, are confident their race will also go ahead.

F1 personnel who have visited high-risk countries within 14 days of their arrival in Bahrain will be subjected to an extensive screening process.

A spokesperson for the race said: “The Bahrain International Circuit is working closely with all relevant government departments, including the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Interior, to mitigate the threat of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

“Ministries have activated a number of public health measures, including but not limited to restricting travel from high-risk areas, introducing an extensive screening programme, and establishing quarantine facilities for suspected cases.

“It is in the context of these initiatives that the BIC is confident its preparations will result in a successful and safe Grand Prix later this month.”

However, the MotoGP season has been hit with the first two rounds of the 2020 calendar postponed.

The opening race, the Grand Prix of Qatar from March 6-8, was cancelled on Sunday evening due to travel restrictions imposed to limit the outbreak of coronavirus.

With immediate effect, passengers arriving in Doha on direct flights from Italy, or those having been in Italy in the last two weeks, will be taken into quarantine for 14 days.

The second round in Thailand, which had been scheduled for March 22, has now also been postponed.

This week’s Moto2 and Moto3 classes will go ahead in Qatar as the riders and teams were already in the country for the threeday test at Losail International Circuit.

Golf ’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which gets under way on Thursday in Doha, is due to go ahead as scheduled.

Football, however, suffered further cancellations yesterday with the Swiss League put on hold until March 23 and pre-season matches at the International Champions Cup, scheduled to take place in Asia, postponed.

On Friday, the Swiss government banned large events expected to draw more than 1,000 people and the weekend’s fixtures were postponed.

In Italy, yesterday’s Serie A match between Sampdoria and Hellas Verona was postponed.

Six Serie A matches were called