Is the Italian Grand Prix in Monza Under Threat Due to Coronavirus?

After the Chinese Grand Prix, another race could be cancelled due to the rapidly spreading Coronavirus. The Italian Grand Prix is a race that I look forward to the most every year. Sadly, The F1 race at the ‘temple of speed’ could be cancelled due to the outbreak of Coronavirus in Italy.

The fate of the F1 Italian Grand Prix

Originating in China, the epidemic has spread to various parts of the world. This includes the EU and Italy in particular. The outbreak has affected Ferrari, which is an Italian team from Maranello. Ferrari has already employed various restrictions and is taking precautionary measures with its factory workers.

The Italian manufacturer has enforced restrictions on employees who have visited affected localities. Furthermore, the team has shut down its museums in Modena and Maranello. This will not affect the teams’ participation in preseason testing but could prove to be a problem later on.

Monza, which hosts the Italian Grand Prix, lies in one of the worst affected regions. With over 300 cases reported, the fate of the race is up in the air. The situation may not seem dire at this very instant but could be a lot worse in 7 months’ time.

Several Italian towns are currently under quarantine and the situation doesn’t seem to be improving. Furthermore, reports of Coronavirus have surfaced in countries like Spain and Austria.

The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza provides a racing spectacle like no other. The Italian Grand Prix is a must-watch for racing fans who want to experience speed like no other. Losing the race will be a major blow to F1 from a commercial aspect. With the Chinese GP already postponed without a new date, F1 will be desperately hoping to prevent the loss of another race.

Should the situation worsen, the European Union leg of the calendar could also be staring at risk of cancellation. Recently, the Vietnamese Grand Prix was also rumoured to be cancelled. However, track authorities have firmly denied this and claimed the event would proceed as scheduled.

F1 prioritizes driver safety over everything else but with a looming pandemic, the 2020 calendar isn’t looking too good.