The outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus put several sporting events in China on hold, including the F1 Chinese GP at Shanghai.

Precautional measures have been applied to avoid any occasions of infection to protect the staff and the athletes of sporting competitions set to take place in China. However, the fast-paced diffusion of the virus raised concerns all over the continent of Asia, making the authorities wondering whether it is safe to go ahead with the inaugural Vietnamese GP.

The organisers of the new entry on the F1 calendar told AFP that the race will be held as "scheduled" on April 5th .

“The time for the F1 race will not be postponed or delayed” assured Tran Trung Hieu, deputy director of Hanoi's tourism department.

"Although this is a sports event, it has a very huge impact on Vietnam and Hanoi's tourism" he added.

Hanoi cannot afford losing the opportunity of holding its first F1 grand prix, hence the organizers’ commitment to ensure the safety of teams, drivers, personnel and fans has been reiterated.