The race organizers have announced that the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place without spectators due to the coronavirus epidemic.
It is slated to take place March 20-22 as the second inning for the new season but has become the last sporting event to get closer to the public due to the virus.
A statement from the race organizers said: “In consultation with our international partners and the Kingdom’s national health working group, Bahrain has decided to organize the Bahrain Grand Prix this year as a reserved event to the participants.
“As an F1 host country, balancing the well-being of fans and racing fans is a huge responsibility. Given the continuing spread of Covid-19 around the world, calling a major sporting event open to the public and allowing thousands of international travelers and local fans to interact nearby would not be the right thing to do in the current time.
“But to ensure that neither the sport, nor its base of global supporters, is unduly impacted, the race weekend itself will continue as a televised event.”
The statement added, “The first steps Bahrain has taken to prevent, identify and isolate cases of people with Covid-19 have been extremely successful to date. The approach involved swift and proactive measures, identifying those affected by the virus, the overwhelming majority of which involved those who travel to the country by air.
“Aggressive social distancing measures have further increased the effectiveness of preventing the spread of the virus, which would clearly be almost impossible to maintain if the race had gone as originally planned.
“We know how disappointed many will be with this news, especially for those planning to travel to the event, which has become a key event on the international F1 calendar, but safety must remain our top priority.”