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WEC Spa-Francorchamps
Spa WEC round latest to be postponed
The penultimate round of the 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship season at Spa-Francorchamps has been postponed amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
Jamie Klein
Edited: Mar 16, 2020, 11:22 AM
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Originally set to take place on April 23-25, the six-hour Spa event will be given a new date later in the year, according to a WEC statement.
It comes not long after the cancellation of the Sebring 1000 Miles, which was due to take place this week before being called off amid travel restrictions put in place by the US government in a bid to try and contain the COVID-19 outbreak.
Belgium has reported more than 1,000 cases of the disease, and has reportedly enacted emergency measures including the suspension of sporting events and closure of public spaces such as restaurants, bars and cafes until April 3.
WEC series boss Gerard Neveu commented: "This decision was the only responsible option to be taken at this time. The health and well-being of our competitors, fans and members of the paddock has to remain our priority.
"We are working on a revised date for the Total 6 Hours of Spa and will communicate that as soon as possible.”
The WEC's statement added that any purchased tickets will be valid on the revised date for the Spa race, but can also be refunded.
Beyond Spa, only the Le Mans 24 Hours, scheduled for June 13-14, remains on the 2019/20 WEC schedule.
Race organiser and WEC co-promoter Automobile Club de l'Ouest released a statement earlier this month expressing confidence that its flagship event would go ahead as planned, but the number of COVID-19 cases in France has risen to over 5,000 since it was issued.
The WEC's sporting regulations state that six events, including Le Mans, must take place for championship titles to be awarded. Last month's race at the Circuit of the Americas was the fifth of the 2019/20 season.
Motorsport.com has contacted the ACO for comment on how the WEC would proceed in the event that Le Mans cannot go ahead as scheduled.
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