From September to April: Formula 1 Grand Prix in Russia and China may be swapped due to outbreaks of coronavirus

The stage of "Formula 1" in Sochi in 2020 may take place much earlier than planned. Speedweek reported a possible exchange of dates between the Russian Grand Prix and the Chinese Grand Prix due to an outbreak of coronavirus. The race in Shanghai should be held on April 19, but there is a chance that at that time the Formula 1 pilots will gather in Sochi, and will arrive in the Middle Kingdom at the end of September.

According to media reports, the organizers of the Chinese Grand Prix have made such a proposal to the leadership of Formula 1. At the same time, the second side of the proposed transaction in the person of the Russian Automobile Federation did not receive a request for an exchange of races. There was no proposal to the promoter of the Grand Prix of Russia “Rosgonki”.

“The date of the Russian Grand Prix 2020 is approved by the International Automobile Federation in October last year and does not change,” TASS was told in the press service of the organizers of the Sochi stage.

The coronavirus epidemic has claimed the lives of more than three hundred people in China. Also, one Chinese citizen died in the Philippines. Due to the rapidly spreading fatal disease, a huge number of sporting events in China have been canceled or moved to other countries. These included the March Indoor Track and Field World Championships, the February stage of the Alpine Skiing World Cup and several Olympic qualifying tournaments.

Motorsport also suffered losses due to coronavirus. On the eve it became known that the city of Sanya on the island of Hainan will not take place the stage of “Formula E”, the main racing series on electric cars. It was scheduled for March 21, but the organizers decided not to jeopardize the health of pilots, mechanics, and fans.

“Due to the growing health threat and the declaration of international emergency by WHO due to the outbreak of coronavirus, Formula E takes all necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of its employees, participants and spectators of the championship, and pays paramount attention to this issue. We work closely with our partner in the region, as well as with the authorities of Hainan Province and the municipality of Sanya to monitor the development of the situation. All parties involved will carefully consider the possibility of postponing to other dates in case the situation improves, ”the promoter said in a statement.

At the moment, the organizers of the Formula E stage in China are looking for an opportunity to postpone the race to a later date, but much will depend on the development of the situation in the country. If you can’t save the race in Sanya, it will either be held in Europe in the summer, or two races will be held in New York at the penultimate stage of the season.

Now motorsport fans are waiting for the fate of the Formula 1 stage in Shanghai to be decided. The exclusion of the race from the calendar threatens with big financial losses both for the organizers of this Grand Prix and for the entire championship. The track in Shanghai is the most spacious in the championship and can gather up to 200 thousand spectators. Last year, at the thousandth in the history of the “royal races” of the Grand Prix, the organizers reported on the sale of all tickets and an increase in attendance by 10% compared to last year.

If the leadership of Formula 1 fails to cancel the stage in China completely, then the option with the exchange of dates will remain the only way to save the race. From the point of view of logistics, the Russian Grand Prix will prove to be the best candidate for replacement. The race in Sochi will be located between the stages in Vietnam and the Netherlands, and it will be convenient for the teams to make a stop in Russia when moving from Asia to Europe. And holding the Chinese Grand Prix in September will combine it with the autumn races in Singapore and Japan.

However, the transfer of the race weekend five months earlier brought major problems to the Russian organizers. This can significantly affect ticket sales and the organization of the entertainment part, to which the promoter traditionally invites major music stars. Although before the race in Sochi took place in April, but in the coming years, the organizers preferred to occupy the September niche in the calendar.

By the way, in Australia and Vietnam, where the stages of Formula 1 will be held before the Chinese Grand Prix, cases of coronavirus have also been identified. However, there a total of 20 people were affected, while in China the number of cases exceeded 17 thousand.