Shocking postponements were made in motorsports today, with it being confused that the FIM Endurance World Championship at Le Mans 24-Hours has been cancelled following the coronavirus pandemic. This would’ve marked the 43rd edition of this infamous motorsport event, with it being postponed from April 18th to September 6th. Going forward the Le Mans 24-Hours FIM Endurance World Championship will become the season finale.
This decision was made after FIM Organizers held a meeting with medical experts, determining that it’s best to follow the ban of mass gatherings from the French Health Minister. Going forward, there isn’t allowed to be more than 1000 individuals in one location, with the World Health Organization suggesting that these numbers be lower than what the French Minister is suggesting.
Official Statement
The Federation of International Motorcycles, the Le Mans Organizers and Eurosport Events provided an official statement to their supporters. It noted that to ensure the protection of team members, drivers, spectators and all other individuals involved with this motorsport, we’ve determined to enact postponement measures. This unprecedented situation is creating unexpected scenarios that all sporting events are having to cancel their events. However, it was noted by the federation that their confidence that any inconveniences caused would be reprimanded during the season closer on September 6th.
This public announcement to supporters also expressed that ticket holders will have their purchases valid with the new dates. No exchange of tickets will be required, with this become a common strategy for sporting events having to cancel their venues. It should be mentioned that multiple motorsport events have been cancelled in recent weeks. This included the Argentinian MotoGP, which has been delayed until November 2020. The World Superbike Championship also experienced delays with their Spanish and French Grand Prix’s. It’s suspected that both of these respective motorcycle competitions will be cancelled for the full season in the coming weeks if exposure isn’t terminated with the coronavirus.
F1 Cancellations
Motorsport enthusiasts have been rocked with emotion throughout March 12th. It was first announced that a member on McLaren F1 had contracted the coronavirus, which caused immediate panic on the grid. Drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen returned to their respective homes unexpectedly, with this almost confirming that the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne would be cancelled three days before it was slated to begin. It’d only be a few hours later before the termination of this motorsport race would be confirmed.