Formula 1 is a hugely popular event, and many fans will be disappointed that they cannot attend races for this season. So what exactly is going on with the 2020 season? And what are the effects of the Coronavirus on F1?

What's happened so far with the F1 season 2020

The F1 has stated that they are taking precautionary measures following the current scientific advice about the Coronavirus. Their website says that because the virus has a fluid nature, they will continue to review the situation. So what action has been taken so far?

The Australian Grand Prix was canceled due to McLaren going into self-isolation. Lewis Hamilton also made a personal complaint about the race going ahead.

The Chinese GP has been postponed since mid-February. The race was supposed to be held at the Shanghai circuit, just 500 miles from the initial outbreak of the virus.

Despite attempts to keep the Vietnam GP on its original date, that has now been canceled as well. This was partly expected, as the Hanoi track is only 100 miles from the border with China.

Originally, Bahrain has stated that their GP would take place as a participant only race. However, that too has now been postponed.

The Monaco, Dutch, and Spanish GPs were all canceled on March 19. The Azerbaijan race soon followed on March 23.

What are the plans for the rest of the 2020 season?

The next question is, will the F1 2020 season go ahead? Bosses are certainly hoping to see the races resume as soon as possible. The F1 chairman and chief executive officer, Chase Carey, has said that they wish to reschedule as many of the postponed races as they can.

The current plans expect the 2020 season to go ahead "as soon as it is safe to do so after May". The next race is currently the Canadian GP, scheduled for June 14. However, this already seems unlikely to go ahead. The real problem is that no-one can say for sure how long this situation will continue.

Further effects of the Coronavirus on F1

The problems Coronavirus has caused for F1 go further than just canceled races. The real problem is that it requires a considerable amount of international travel. The tournament can't function until the whole world has a grasp on the virus.

Another big problem is finances. Due to people being unable to work, the Coronavirus has caused substantial economic damage to many countries and their industries. Due to the nature of F1, a lot of money flows through it. However, the teams themselves don't have a lot of money in the bank to maintain themselves.

Depending on how long this pandemic lasts, some teams won't have the funds to keep going. This could have a massive impact on the race if some of the biggest names don't come out on the other side of this problem.

Conclusion

The Formula One Group is hoping to reschedule as many races as possible. The organisation wants to continue with the 2020 season as soon as it is safe to do so. F1 fans
can be sure that if races can go ahead, then they will. Unfortunately, none of us can say just how long the Coronavirus will be a problem for the sports industry. Visit Betnj.com to keep up with sports schedules and rosters.