It has been confirmed that the 2020 Rome ePrix has become the latest major motorsport event to be postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, creating a seven week break in the series schedule.
Italy has been by far the worst hit European nation by the virus which has seen a number of sporting events postponed or cancelled.
Earlier this week, a law was passed stipulating that all sporting events must be played behind closed doors until April 3, the day before the Rome ePrix, which makes this development hardly surprising.
A Formula E spokesman has said: “Formula E, in agreement with the relevant authorities in Rome, EUR S.p.A and together with the FIA and Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI), will work closely with championship partners and stakeholders in order to assess and review alternative options to postpone the Rome E-Prix to a later date once restrictions have been lifted.”
This season’s Formula E calendar was already starting to look a little bare as the race in Sanya was cancelled due to the outbreak and the scheduled race in Hong Kong was replaced by last weekend’s Marrakesh ePrix.
There will be a seven week gap in the middle of the season until the next round in Paris which is set to take place on April 18.
But the bad news does not appear to stop there as the race in Paris and the following event two weeks later in the capital of badly-hit South Korea, Seoul, are both in question.
It is now understood that the impact on the calendar has meant that the series is seeking replacement options to fill what could be an indefinitely-long gap in the calendar.
Motorsport has already been badly affected as the 2020 Chinese GP has been postponed and the Bahrain and inaugural Vietnamese GPs are both in doubt.
There are over 3,5000 confirmed deaths affecting 101 countries and territories with 189 confirmed cases in the UK and two deaths so far arising from COVID-19.
