F1 cancels Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan races due to coronavirus pandemic

Three more Formula 1 Grand Prix have fallen victim to the coronavirus pandemic after circuit chiefs announced on Friday the cancellation of events in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan.

The race in Azerbaijan should have been held on 7 June but due to the pandemic it was rescheduled to slot in when the reconfigured tour moved away from Europe.

Singapore and Japan had been set for 20 September and 11 October respectively.

"These decisions to cancel have been taken due to the different challenges our promoters face in those countries, an F1 statement added.

“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.”

The 2020 season should have started in March at the Australian Grand Prix. But that was cancelled at the last minute due to health concerns as the coronavirus started to make an impact.

Reconfigured circuit
No races have taken place since. The campaign is due to start at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on 5 July. Another race will be held at the venue on 12 July before a third Grand Prix in Hungary.

Eight Grand Prix are planned for Europe before the circuit moves to Asia.

During the hiatus, the world champion, Lewis Hamilton, injected an edge of social conscience into the octane-fuelled melange of money, machismo, risk and glamour.

The 35-year-old Briton, who is mixed race, hit out at the silence of fellow drivers following the death of George Floyd in police custody in the United States on 25 May.

Several F1 pilots including Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Carlos Sainz responded to Hamilton and added their voices to the outrage over Floyd's death.