The organizers of Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix have elected to postpone the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, per a Monday, March 23, announcement.
F1 officials had hoped to begin its newly abbreviated season in Azerbaijan (June 5-7) but are now unable to do so based upon the council of health professionals, as well as the government of Azerbaijan and the FIA.
Along with Azerbaijan Grand Prix, seven other events on the F1 calendar have previously been postponed or canceled.
“The thoughts of everyone at Baku City Circuit during this challenging and unprecedented situation go out to all those directly and indirectly affected by the coronavirus pandemic,” a Formula 1 statement read. “We wish to thank all our supporters, customers and partners for your understanding and look forward to welcoming you back to Baku later in the year for more unpredictable, thrilling racing action at the home of the street fighters.”
A rescheduled date for the event was not disclosed in the announcement. Additionally, a timetable for the resumption of normal F1 racing procedures and even the number of races the sanctioning body plans to hold in 2020 is unknown.
Never at a loss for words, Zach Gillispie is a young, talented marketing professional from North Carolina who talks and writes on the side about his first love: racing! Since joining Frontstretch in 2018, Zach has served in numerous roles where he currently pens the NASCAR 101 column, a weekly piece delving into the basic nuts and bolts of the sport. Additionally, his unabashedly bold takes meshed with that trademarked dry wit of his have made Zach a fan favorite on the weekly Friday Faceoff panel. In his free time, he can be found in the great outdoors, actively involved in his church, cheering on his beloved Atlanta Braves or ruthlessly pestering his colleagues with completely useless statistics about Delma Cowart.