The opening round of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been postponed until 25/26 July.
With travel restrictions and lockdowns across Europe and the world, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya follows has postponed all events at the track that were due to take place in April, including the European Le Mans Series as well as the World RX.
In a statement, the World RX have said: “In light of the Generalitat de Catalunya’s decree to suspend all live sporting events in response to the evolving COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation, this year’s World RX of Catalunya-Barcelona on April 18-19 has been postponed.
“This decision was made after careful consideration and consultation with the FIA, the Spanish ASN and the local event organizer, as the health and safety of everyone involved remains the top priority.
The number of coronavirus deaths in Spain hit 120 on Friday, a 50% increase and the government has said that a state of emergency will come into effect on Saturday. Spain is the worst affected country in Europe outside Italy.
At the moment, the opening round is set to take place in Portugal as the championship returns to Montalegre after a year’s absence. However, the chance of the event happening is decreasing.
The championship can not afford to cancel events since there are only 10 rounds on the calendar, but it does mean there is room for flexibility to postpone events until later in the year.
Expect more news to come soon on whether more World RX events will be postponed or cancelled.