Formula E is set to re-plan its 2020 calendar
Formula E and the FIA have issued a joint statement yesterday in which they announced that the 2019/20 season will be temporarily suspended for a two-month period.
The coronavirus outbreak seems to affect every form of the global motorsport with the Formula E championship forming no exception to that trend. Due to its international race calendar, the fully electrical racing series was always going to be affected by the ongoing coronavirus crises. Its impact might be even bigger because of the shape of the 2019/2020 calendar that featured European races at the beginning of spring and Asian venues later on.
The Sanya E-Prix that was scheduled for March 21 was cancelled at the beginning of February, but the championship hoped that the virus will disappear by the time the series returns to Europe. However, as the situation regarding COVID-19 has become serious in Europe, the championship was forced to react.
On the 6th of March, it was announced that the third running of the Rome E-Prix became the second event the series has cancelled this year due to the virus.
With the number of cases across Europe increasing day by day, the championship issued another statement yesterday in which it declared that the season has been put on hold for a two-month period. As a consequence of the suspension, it will no longer be possible to race in Paris and Seoul, or Jakarta as previously announced on the originally scheduled dates.
Founder and Chairman of Formula E Alejandro Agag said that health and safety of people should be above everything including motorsport events.
“Right now is the time to take responsible actions and this is why we have decided to temporarily suspend the season and move forward with introducing measures to freeze races from taking place over the next two months.”
"Motorsport plays a major part in our lives and it is important, but what is more important is the health and safety of our staff, fans and their families, as well as citizens in the cities we race. The ABB FIA Formula E Championship will be back in full force, once the ongoing health crisis and spread of COVID- 19 has subsided,” Agag added.
The 2019/2020 FIA ABB Formula-E season was scheduled to be contested over fourteen races of which only five round have been completed so far. The organizers is now facing a tough task to reschedule races following the temporary suspension.
