Formula 1 has confirmed the cancellation of the 2020 Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The announcement comes following the confirmation of the opening eight races of a revised calendar kicking off with the Austrian Grand Prix next month.
It is a bitter blow for the Asian trio, with promoters for the Singapore GP vocal over their efforts to ensure the famed night race could go ahead.
However, due to the both Singapore and Azerbaijan being street circuits, a decision concerning the status of the race had to be made well in advance of any event as necessary construction time often exceeds three months.
Japan’s event at Suzuka had been due to run on October 11.
A statement from F1 released today read:
“As a result of the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19, we and our promoters in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan have taken the decision to cancel their races for the 2020 season.
“These decisions have been taken due to the different challenges our promoters face in those countries. In Singapore and Azerbaijan the long lead times required to construct street circuits made hosting the events during a period of uncertainty impossible and in Japan, ongoing travel restrictions also led to the decision not to proceed with the race.
“At the same time we have made significant progress with existing and new promoters on the revised calendar and have been particularly encouraged by the interest that has been shown by new venues in hosting a Formula 1 race during the 2020 season.
“We appreciate this is still a time of uncertainty and complexity around the world and will continue to ensure we proceed with the 2020 season in a cautious and flexible way. We have detailed and robust safety plans in place to ensure we begin our season in the safest possible way.”
Seven rounds from the original 22 race calendar have now been annulled indefinitely.