Breaking news
Super Formula Suzuka
Coronavirus forces Super Formula to postpone opener
Super Formula’s 2020 season-opening round at Suzuka has been postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic, it was announced on Monday.
Jamie Klein Tomohiro Yoshita
Edited: Mar 2, 2020, 9:30 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Suzuka was due to host the first round of the 2020 campaign on April 5, with Super Formula sharing the bill with the All-Japan Superbike Championship, but the spread of the COVID-19 virus has put the event on indefinite hiatus.
The first round of the new Super Taikyu season at Suzuka, scheduled for March 21-22, will not go ahead either, it was announced by track owner Mobilityland.
They become the latest motorsport events to have been disrupted by the outbreak, with Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix, Formula E’s Sanya E-Prix and the first MotoGP race of the season in Qatar having all suffered similar fates.
Additionally, the two-day pre-season Super Formula test that was due to take place at Suzuka on March 9-10 has been postponed, as well as the Super Formula Lights (formerly the All-Japan Formula 3 championship) test on March 10-11.
So far, more than 250 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Japan, excluding those aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, and six deaths.
Most schools in the country have been requested to close by the government for the month of March in response to the outbreak, while several high-profile sports events, such as Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon, have gone ahead without spectators.
It remains to be seen whether the second Super Formula pre-season test at Fuji Speedway, planned for March 24-25, will go ahead. On Saturday, the track played host to testing for Super Taikyu, but without public access to the paddock.
SUPER GT opener in doubt
Meanwhile, the Okayama circuit has announced that the first SUPER GT test of the pre-season will go ahead as planned on March 14-15 but won’t be open to the public.
The fate of the opening round of the season, due to take place at the former Pacific Formula 1 Grand Prix host on April 11-12, remains unclear. Series organiser GTA is expected to hold a meeting this week to make a decision on whether the race will go ahead or not.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Cassidy agrees fresh TOM'S Super Formula deal
Next article Super Formula set to switch to single dry tyre in 2020
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jamie Klein
Super Formula Fuji: Ayumu Iwasa wins as Kakunoshin Ohta misses chance to seal title
Super Formula
Super Formula
Fuji II
Super Formula Fuji: Ayumu Iwasa wins as Kakunoshin Ohta misses chance to seal title
Super Formula Fuji: Igor Fraga wins while Kakunoshin Ohta closes on title
Super Formula
Super Formula
Fuji II
Super Formula Fuji: Igor Fraga wins while Kakunoshin Ohta closes on title
Latest news
On this day: Fernando Alonso wins the world title, Michael Schumacher retires from F1
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Brazilian GP
46 min
On this day: Fernando Alonso wins the world title, Michael Schumacher retires from F1
Raul Fernandez still compromised after Indonesia finger injury: “I’m not at 100%”
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
1 h
Raul Fernandez still compromised after Indonesia finger injury: “I’m not at 100%”
MotoGP can’t simply copy F1’s Drive to Survive success – Chase Carey
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
2 h
MotoGP can’t simply copy F1’s Drive to Survive success – Chase Carey
Marc Marquez's mind games with Jorge Martin: "If you're fast, you don't need team orders"
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
2 h
Marc Marquez's mind games with Jorge Martin: "If you're fast, you don't need team orders"
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe