Shanghai: The coronavirus outbreak has forced postponing of the Chinese Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place from April 17 to 19.
"The Chinese Grand Prix has always been a very important part of the F1 calendar and the fans are always incredible. We all look forward to racing in China as soon as possible and wish everyone in the country the best during this difficult time," Formula 1 said in a statement.
The Chinese Grand Prix Promoter, Juss Sports Group, officially requested the postponement after ongoing discussions with the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of People's Republic of China (CAMF) and Shanghai Administration of Sports.
Coronavirus has claimed over 1,000 lives in mainland China. The novel coronavirus was first detected in China's Wuhan city in late December and has since spread to more than 25 countries.
The new coronavirus even surpassed the fatalities caused by the SARS epidemic in 2003. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a global health emergency in the wake of the outbreak.