Silverstone sets end of April deadline for British GP decision

Silverstone has confirmed it has until the end of April to make a final decision on whether this year’s Formula 1 British Grand Prix will go ahead as planned.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has caused major disruption to the start of the 2020 season, with the opening eight races either postponed or cancelled. F1 is hoping to get the championship underway during the summer months and targets holding 15-18 races.

A ban on motorsport activities in the UK currently runs until June 30, with the British Grand Prix scheduled to take place between 17-19 July. On Wednesday, the promoters of the British Grand Prix announced it had set a deadline for a decision to be made before the end of this month.

“Silverstone and Formula 1 remian in close dialogue regarding the ongoing situation and are assessing the feasibility of holding the British Grand Prix on 17th-19th July,” a statement read.

“We fully appreciate that other UK sporting events in July have taken decisions regarding their events, but it is important to highlight that their logistics and sporting arrangements differ from Silverstone’s and, therefore, our timeline gives us until the end of April to make a final decision.

“The safety of our fans, colleagues and the F1 community will be our priority and we will continue to engage with the appropriate authorities.”

Major sporting events across the world including the Olympic Games in Tokyo and European football championships have been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis, leading both to be postponed until 2021.

With the UK currently observing a lockdown period to try and limit the spread of coronavirus, all major sport in Great Britain has been banned until further notice.

The Premier League has been suspended until at least April 30, while a number of lower football divisions have already seen their seasons entirely cancelled.

A decision is yet to be made regarding Wimbledon, which is due to finish a week before the British Grand Prix in July, however cancellation of the tennis championships seems inevitable with a series of emergency meetings being held.