The 2nd race of the current Formula 1 season will be going ahead with just one major change: no spectators will be allowed. The Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for the 20th to 22nd of March 2020 and organisers have decided to make it participant-only for that particular race.
This means that only Formula 1 race teams will be allowed to partake.
This move is to safeguard the public from the further spread of the coronavirus. This news follows the cancellation of the Qatar MotoGP and Geneva Motor Show 2020.
Press Release
Here’s a statement issued by the race organiser:
In consultation with our international partners and the Kingdom’s national health taskforce, Bahrain has made the decision to hold this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix as a participants-only event.
As an F1 host nation, balancing the welfare of supporters and race goers is a tremendous responsibility. Given the continued spread of Covid-19 globally, convening a major sporting event which is open to the public and allows thousands of international travellers and local fans to interact in close proximity would not be the right thing to do at the present time.
But to ensure that neither the sport, nor its global supporter base, is unduly impacted, the race weekend itself will still go ahead as a televised event.
About the Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain Grand Prix takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC). It is an ultramodern motorsport facility that is located in the heart of the Sakhir desert. Designed by the renowned German engineer Hermann Tilke, the circuit incorporates many features of local culture.
Costing approximately $150 million, the entire facility took less than 18 months to build – quite a feat considering the massive undertaking that was needed to develop the land.
BIC features five FIA certified track layouts, more than anywhere else in the world . This allows the circuit to host a range of motor racing events. The 5.412-kilometre Grand Prix Track regularly hosts international races, including the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, the FIA World Endurance Championship Six Hours of Bahrain, races in the GP2 Series and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
