After the events of the past weekend and cancellation of the Australian GP in rough circumstances after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CEO of Formula One Chase Carey has issued an update and apology to the fans.

So far the governing body of F1 spoke about the possibility of returning to racing by the end of May 2020. This means that the upcoming european GP’s such as the Dutch GP, Spanish GP as well as Monaco GP are threatened, and it’s all due to the outbreak situation currently taking place in the Netherlands and Spain, among many other countries. Obviously, if the situation is not gonna improve, even the date of “end of may” might be changed accordingly to the handling of the pandemic. With the races that have been so far postponed (Bahrain, Vietnam, China and Australia as well) the administration of F1 will try to reschedule as many of them as possible in a later period, potentially putting them during the summer break which will result in an extremely cramped 2020 season. After the badly executed communication during Australian GP, the CEO Chase Carey decided to apologise to fans and update them on the situation. 

The full statement from Chase Carey: 

Dear F1 Fans,

We wanted to provide some thoughts and perspectives from last week as we address the coronavirus pandemic.

First and foremost, our priority is the health and safety of the fans, teams, and organisations of Formula 1, as well as wider society.

We apologise to those fans affected by the cancellation in Australia, as well as the postponement of the other races to date. These decisions are being made by Formula 1, the FIA, and our local promoters in rapidly changing and evolving circumstances, but we believe they are the right and necessary ones. We also want to extend our thoughts to those already affected, including those in the Formula 1 family.

We recognise everyone wants to know what comes next for Formula 1 in 2020. We cannot provide specific answers today given the fluidity of the situation. However, we plan to get the 2020 Championship season underway as soon as it’s safe to do so. We are engaging with experts and officials on a daily basis as we evaluate how we go forward in the next few months. We will keep you updated and provide details as soon as possible on formula1.com.

We are grateful for your support and understanding and we wish you and your families all the best.

Sincerely,

Chase