Vietnam’s very first Formula One grand prix has been officially cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to race organizers on Friday.
The first Vietnamese Grand Prix was scheduled to take place in April in Hanoi but was delayed due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The idea was to delay the race until later in the year.
“This has been an extremely difficult but necessary decision to reach in view of the continued uncertainty caused by the global coronavirus pandemic,” Vietnam Grand Prix Corp said.
The start of the Formula One season was pushed back from March prompting dramatic changes to the 2020 calendar. Of the 22 total races originally scheduled for 2020, 17 races were cut with Vietnam becoming the 13th race to be canceled this year.
Hanoi city authorities and race organizers were trying to reschedule the race for November, but Vietnam Grand Prix Corp Chief Executive Le Ngoc Chi said that cancellation was the only option given the safety concerns. The group announced it would refund all tickets sold for the 2020 race.
