Coronavirus pandemic: Monaco Grand Prix among three more Formula 1 races postponed in wake of COVID-19 threat

Paris: The Monaco Grand Prix was among three more Formula One races to be postponed on Thursday because of the coronavirus outbreak. [caption id=“attachment_8150011” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representative image. AP[/caption] The Dutch and Spanish GPs, scheduled for earlier in May, were also called off by governing body FIA. The first seven races of the season have now been postponed, with organizers saying they will only begin the 2020 championship “as soon as it’s safe to do so.” Regarding the latest postponements, Formula One and the FIA said they were taking these decisions “in order to ensure the health and safety of the traveling staff, championship participants and fans, which remains our primary concern.” The season-opening Australian GP in Melbourne was called off only hours before it was due to start last Friday. The Bahrain GP, scheduled to start on Friday without fans, and the inaugural Vietnam GP on 5 April were then quickly called off. The Chinese GP in Shanghai on 19 April was postponed in February. The Dutch GP was scheduled to be held on 3 May at the Zandvoort track outside Amsterdam. The Spanish GP was to follow on 10 May, with the Monaco race on 24 May. The next race on the calendar is in Azerbaijan on 7 June. The mid-season break has been moved from August to March and April and extended from 14 to 21 consecutive days. Teams can choose their 21-day period for ceasing activities. That will allow more flexibility in re-arranging races. The season is scheduled to end with the Abu Dhabi GP on 29 November, but could be extended to fit some postponed races in. Click here to follow all the live updates about the coronavirus pandemic