Virus forces Bahrain to hold Formula 1 GP without spectators

Bahrain's Formula 1 Grand Prix scheduled for March 20-22 will be held without spectators, the organisers said Sunday in the latest sporting event to be hit by measures to contain the new coronavirus.

One of the other early races in the Formula One season, the Shanghai Grand Prix on April 19, has been postponed although organisers say the season-opening race in Australia on March 15 will go ahead as planned.

"In consultation with our international partners and the kingdom's national health taskforce, Bahrain has made the decision to hold this year's Bahrain Grand Prix as a participants-only event," the Bahrain International Circuit said in a statement.

Bahrain has reported more than 80 cases of the disease, mostly among pilgrims returning from Iran.

The organisers said that social distancing measures which have been effective in preventing the spread of the virus would be "near impossible to maintain" if the race proceeded as originally planned.

"Convening a major sporting event, which is open to the public and allows thousands of international travellers and local fans to interact in close proximity would not be the right thing to do at the present time," they said.

"But to ensure that neither the sport, nor its global supporter base, is unduly impacted, the race weekend itself will still go ahead as a televised event."