The upcoming Bahrain and Vietnam Grands Prix have been postponed, due to the uncertainty of the current coronavirus outbreak.

The scheduled second and third round of this year’s Formula 1 World Championship have been postponed, due to uncertainty regarding the coronavirus outbreak worldwide.

Following on from Friday’s cancellation of the season opening Australian Grand Prix after a confirmed outbreak of COVID-19 within the McLaren team, Formula 1 took the option of postponing next week’s Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir Circuit. It also confirmed that the inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix, scheduled to take place on a brand new circuit in Hanoi, will also be postponed.

In a statement, Formula 1 said they had sat down with race promoters and circuit management to discuss the best way to proceed and reached an agreement to postpone.

They say all parties will remain in close communication in order to study the possibility of rescheduling the entire calendar. Both the FIA and Formula 1 say the season is now likely to begin in Europe in May, although there have been many rumours that it will be the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June.

The summer break mandatory rule looks set to be implemented for April, meaning that some races can be held through August in order to make up some lost ground.

“The global situation regarding COVID-19 is fluid and very difficult to predict and its right we take time to assess the situation and make the right decisions.” said Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey.

“We are taking this decision with the FIA and our promoters to ensure the safety of everyone involved in Formula 1 and our fans. The Bahrain Grand Prix is an exciting race in our schedule, and we look forward to being back there as soon as we can. We are also looking forward to Vietnam’s inaugural race and bringing the spectacle of F1 to one of the most exciting cities in the world.”