The COVID19 crisis is about to stop the whole world, and Formula 1 is not exception: it took hours, for the FIA and the organization, to cancel the Australian GP and, with that, the first part of the 2020 calendar. 

The pandemia has been affecting Italy first, but the virus is expanding in the whole world. 

The Australian GP has been canceled because of a McLaren team memeber suspected to be positive; his symptoms are already gone, but some members of the team are still in quarantine in Australia. Some other cases in the Paddock surfaced during these days.

Ferrari came back to Italy announcing that every operation in the factory is suspended in order to respect the national lockdown. 

This would've mean that every team could've still worked on their single seaters, try new solution, even with the few datas collected during the winter testing. 

FIA decided, then, to move the shutdown period, which usually takes place between July and August, to March and April: this means that every team must cease all race and car-related activity, with the break being extended to 21 days.

"In light of the global impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus currently affecting the organisation of FIA Formula One World Championship events, the World Motor Sport Council has approved a change to the 2020 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, moving the summer shutdown period from July and August to March and April and extending it from 14 to 21 days."  said the FIA communicate. 

"All competitors must therefore observe a shutdown period of 21 consecutive days during the months of March and/or April. The change was supported unanimously by both the F1 Strategy Group and F1 Commission."