Azerbaijan Grand Prix postponed due to coronavirus outbreak

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has become the latest race of the 2020 season to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. "The postponement was agreed upon after extensive discussions with Formula 1 as well as the FIA and the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic," officials from the Baku City Circuit said on Monday.

"This comes as a direct result of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and has been based entirely on the expert guidance provided to us by the relevant authorities," it added. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix became the eighth race of the year to be postponed or cancelled - after the Australian, Bahrain, Vietnam, Chinese, Dutch, Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix - as the world reacts to the coronavirus outbreak.

After the first seven races of the year were put on hold or called off, there had been hopes that the season could begin with the Azerbaijan race in Baku, but organisers have now confirmed the race will not go ahead as planned on June 7. The highly infectious disease which originated from China in December 2019 has so far claimed over 14,000 lives while infected more than 3,00,000 people worldwide. (ANI)

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