Manama (AFP)

After the postponement of Shanghai, behind closed doors in Manama: the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix will be held, from March 20 to 22, in "the sole presence of the participants" due to "the continuous spread of the new coronavirus".

"Organizing a major sporting event, open to the public and allowing thousands of international travelers and local supporters to interact in close proximity would not be the right thing to do at the moment", justified the Bahrain International Circuit, organizer of the 2nd event of the season, in a press release.

"We know the great disappointment that this will represent for many, especially those who had planned to travel specially for this event (...) but safety must remain our top priority", continued the organizers.

The move comes at a time when Gulf countries are taking significant restraint measures against the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic after recording more than 200 cases, including 83 in Bahrain, the vast majority of whom have returned from pilgrimages to Iran , one of the most important centers of the disease after China.

"So that neither the sport nor its global fan base is unduly affected, the race weekend will continue to be broadcast on television," said the organizers.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced Friday the creation of a crisis cell on the new coronavirus after several motorsport events have already been canceled or postponed due to the epidemic.

The Bahrain Grand Prix is ​​the second of the F1 season to start on March 15 with that of Australia, which has not announced any specific measures on the organization of the competition.

- Circuit "completed" in Hanoi -

The organizers of the 3rd event on the calendar, the Vietnam Grand Prix, assured them in mid-February that the event would take place "as planned" on April 5 in Hanoi, despite the epidemic of new coronavirus.

About ten days ago, they announced that the Hanoi circuit had been "completed", just over a month from the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in the country.

The Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix in Shanghai, scheduled for April 19, has been postponed indefinitely.

Several cancellations, behind closed doors, postponements and other packages as a precaution, caused by the epidemic of new coronavirus, have disrupted the sports calendar in recent weeks, raising fears for the holding of the next major international events, such as the Euro of football (June 12-July 12) or the Tokyo Olympics (July 24 - August 9).

The accelerated spread of the virus is considered "very worrying" by the World Health Organization (WHO): in total, 95 countries are now affected by Covid-19, which has killed more than 3,500 people worldwide.

The epidemic has now infected more than 100,000 people worldwide.

© 2020 AFP