To the surprise of no one, Formula E organisers have announced the suspension of the start of the circuit’s upcoming racing season due to the coronavirus outbreak. Last Friday the cancellation of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix caused a huge stir in the motoring world, followed by the postponement of the Bahrain and Vietnamese Grand Prix. By the time the American NASCAR series announced it was on hold, no one was shocked anymore.
"As reported recently in Europe in particular and around the world, the increase in cases of COVID-19 continues to rise daily and experts say it is expected to peak next month. For this reason, we have decided to temporarily suspend the 2019-20 ABB FIA Formula E Championship.
This decision was not taken lightly, but we believe it is essential to protect the health and well-being of the staff, teams, partners and suppliers - and their families - who travel with Formula E.”
- Formula E statement
Formula E has declared that it will remain under 'red flag' conditions in March and April, meaning that the Paris race on April 18 has also been postponed.
"We will then move to a "yellow flag" in May, with Seoul no longer possible to be staged on the original date of May 3 while keeping the option open to potentially rearrange races later that month depending on developments," the organization added.
Formula E said it hopes to hold races in June and July and possibly add additional events depending on the situation.
At the speed the situation is evolving, things could change quickly.
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