DTM’s pre-season test will take place at Hockenheim next month, having moved from Monza due to increasing concerns about the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) in northern Italy.

Series organizer ITR communicated the relocation on Thursday, with the test now set to take place on March 16-19 at the German track, rather than on March 16-18 at Monza.

ITR’s managing director Marcel Mohaupt said: “It’s become increasingly apparent that the spread and containment of the coronavirus is sadly affecting society in many different and deepening ways.

“With the safety and well-being of everyone at the forefront of our thinking, we took the decision to relocate our pre-season test to a different venue.

“We are extremely grateful to everyone at Monza and Hockenheim for their co-operation in this matter, and we look forward to visiting Italy in the summer for DTM’s first-ever event at this legendary circuit.”

The move comes a day after Spanish organization GT Sport canceled its pre-season test for International GT Open, Euroformula and GT Cup Open Europe competitors.

That event was scheduled for March 6-7 at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Monza, however, is much closer to the largest outbreak of Covid-19 in Europe, with a dozen Italian towns, some of which are around 40 miles from the circuit, on lockdown following a localized outbreak.

SRO Motorsports Group communicated a contingency plan earlier this week in case it is forced to cancel its GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS round at Monza in April.