Bahrain Grand Prix F1 race to be participant-only event due to coronavirus

Formula One's Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead as planned, the organizers have announced, but no fans will be allowed to attend. The restriction was imposed due to concerns over the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic.

The race – scheduled for March 20-22 – will be participants-only, organizers decided following consultations with international partners and Bahrain’s health authorities.

“Given the continued spread of Covid-19 globally, convening a major sporting event, which is open to the public and allows thousands of international travelers and local fans to interact in close proximity, would not be the right thing to do at the present time,” the Bahrain International Circuit said in a statement on Sunday.

F1 lovers will still be able to watch the race on television, the organizers said, adding that people’s safety takes priority over the likely disappointment of fans, whose plans to come to Bahrain and watch the race in person have been disrupted by the decision.

Last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix attracted a record crowd, with 97,000 fans attending over the course of the weekend.

As of Saturday, Bahrain had reported 62 cases of the coronavirus in the country, with four patients already successfully recovering from the disease.

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