The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has become the latest race of the 2020 season to be postponed, the organisers have announced. Officials from the Baku City Circuit said on Monday: "The postponement was agreed upon after extensive discussions with Formula 1 as well as the FIA and the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic. "This comes as a direct result of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and has been based entirely on the expert guidance provided to us by the relevant authorities." It becomes the eighth race of the year to be postponed or cancelled – after the Australian, Bahrain, Vietnam, Chinese, Dutch, Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix – as the world reacts to the coronavirus outbreak. After the first seven Grands Prix of the year were put on hold or called off, there had been hopes that the season could begin with the Azerbaijan race in Baku, but organisers have now confirmed the race will not go ahead as planned on June 7th.

Valtteri Bottas took victory in last year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The statement in full: Baku City Circuit (BCC) has today taken the decision to postpone the FORMULA 1 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2020 due to take place on June 5th – 7th. The postponement was agreed upon after extensive discussions with Formula 1 as well as the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic. This comes as a direct result of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and has been based entirely on the expert guidance provided to us by the relevant authorities. In coming to this conclusion, BCC’s primary concern throughout has been the health and well-being of the Azerbaijani people as well as all visiting F1 fans, staff and championship participants. BCC shares its fans disappointment at not being able to experience the pinnacle of motorsport race through the streets of Baku this June. To that end, we will continue to work closely with Formula 1, the FIA and the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic to monitor the situation with a view to announcing a new race date later in the 2020 season.

Baku has already seen some of the most dramatic moments in F1 in recent years, like the Ricciardo/Verstappen's crash in 2018