Canadian GP officially postponed from 2020 F1 calendar

Canadian Grand Prix officials have confirmed the postponement of this year’s Formula 1 race scheduled for June 14.

Following the series of postponements and cancellations due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Canadian GP briefly held billing as the 2020 season opener until its organisers also called off the race from its original mid-June slot.

It leaves the French Grand Prix as the new provisional opening round set for June 28, but that race increasingly looks under threat given the travel restrictions and current coronavirus measures in Europe.

The Canadian GP hasn’t been issued an automatic reschedule date yet, with F1 officials aiming to reshuffle the 2020 season once the coronavirus crisis eases. F1 CEO Chase Carey says he is targeting 15 to 18 races and starting the season when it is safe to do so.

Since the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix last month, F1 has effectively gone into shutdown following the rest of the sporting world, with the official team and power unit manufacturer break extending to five weeks meaning no F1 activity of any kind will take place until May at the earliest.

Many F1 teams have switched their efforts into helping fight the coronavirus, as part of Project Pitlane, with Mercedes manufacturing medical breathing devices from its Brixworth factory.

“I am proud to see how such wonderful initiatives and technical advancements stemming from Formula 1 are being applied in a time of crisis,” Francois Dumontier, President and CEO F1 Canadian Grand Prix, said. “At the moment it is crucial that all of our energies be put together to overcome COVID-19. We will welcome you with open arms at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve as soon as it is safe to do so.’’

“We would have been honoured to host the first race on the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship calendar, but we are saddened to have to announce the postponement of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix 2020 scheduled for June 12-13-14 2020. This postponement was not a decision that was taken lightly or easily.

“We have been working closely with our friends at the Canadian Grand Prix over the past few weeks and support them in taking this necessary decision to ensure the safety of fans and the F1 community,” Carey added.

“We always look forward to travelling to the incredible city of Montreal and while we will all have to wait a bit longer, we will put on a great show when we arrive later this year.”