French Grand Prix cancelled, British GP to take place behind closed doors
The French Grand Prix scheduled for June 28 was cancelled on Monday due to the coronavirus pandemic, organisers announced.
"Given the evolution of the situation linked to the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the French Grand Prix takes note of the decisions announced by the French state, making it impossible to maintain our event," the race's managing director Eric Boullier said.
The race at Le Castellet becomes the 10th leg of the decimated 2020 championship to be either scrapped (Australia, Monaco, France) or postponed (Bahrain, China, Vietnam, Netherlands, Spain, Azerbaijan, Canada).
Meanwhile, Silverstone owners have said that no spectators would be able to attend the British Grand Prix, but the race is still scheduled to go ahead.
While organisers have not yet made a final decision on postponing or cancelling the July 19 British race, Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle paved the way for a behind-closed-doors race.
"I am extremely disappointed to tell you that we are unable to stage this year's British Grand Prix in front of the fans at Silverstone," Pringle in his statement on Silverstone's Twitter account.
"We have left this difficult decision for as long as possible, but it is abundantly clear given the current conditions... that a grand prix under normal conditions is just not going to be possible."
Britain has been one of the countries worst affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, with the number of deaths topping 20,000.
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So far nine of the 22 races have either been cancelled or postponed with the French and Belgian races tipped to join the abandoned list. That would leave the Austrian Grand Prix on July 5 as the delayed season-opener with the British Grand Prix scheduled to follow two weeks later.