Organizers of the F1 Singapore Grand Prix, scheduled for 20 September, have pulled the plug on the race, citing «continuing nationwide restrictions on construction and business activities» brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
«The last few months have been extremely challenging on all fronts, and we have now made this difficult decision which Formula 1 and our stakeholders accept we have had to take,» Colin Syn, Singapore GP deputy chairman, said on Friday.
Social gathering restrictions, as well as travel restrictions, are also ongoing in the city-state, which continues to deal with high numbers of infections daily.
The F1 season was slated to begin in Australia in March, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Formula 1 also announced the cancellation of races in Azerbaijan and Japan on Friday. The season now begins in Austria in the first week of July. Organizers said they are confident of completing 15 to 18 races before the season concludes in December.
Important Fixture
The first and only F1 night street race, which has taken place annually in Singapore since 2008, has become an important fixture in the F1 calendar for sponsors and motor racing fans alike, with up to 40 percent of spectators flying in from overseas for the event.
UBS is among the major sponsors of the race – an occasion for banks and luxury brands to schmooze VIP clients and high-net-worth individuals.
It is not clear if the cancellation of the Singapore GP will result in an extension of the country's four-year contract to host the event, which is slated to end in 2021, by another year.
