On Monday, another COVID-19 casualty was added to Formula 1’s 2020 season–the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which was to have been run on June 7th.
Although officials in Baku were disappointed about making that decision, it is possible that the race will be postponed rather than canceled, and will be held later this year.
The Baku City Circuit: “We will continue to work closely with Formula 1, the FIA, and the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic to monitor the situation with a view to announcing a new race date later in the 2020 season. The decision is based entirely on the expert guidance provided to us by the relevant authorities.
As with Monaco, the race in Baku is a run on a street circuit, which requires several weeks to prepare, including barriers needed to protect old city walls. Even though the circuit is left up throughout the year, which minimizes the annual construction tasks, it still takes time to prepare for the race. But unlike Monaco, where officials canceled the 2020 grand prix, Boku officials are cautiously optimistic that the race will be rescheduled.
For F1 officials, the cancellation of the Boku event means that the season’s start is deferred yet again. CEO Chase Carey framed the situation this way: “We recognize that everyone wants to know what comes next for Formula 1 … but … we cannot provide specific answers given the fluidity of the situation. However, we plan to get the 2020 Championship season underway as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
With the Boku race off the schedule (at least for the time being), it means that season will begin no sooner than the Canadian Grand Prix, which is scheduled to be held in Montreal on June 14.
Only time will tell how all of this will shake out.
