Monaco Grand Prix later in 2020 ‘impossible’

Jamie Woodhouse
Monaco Grand Prix later in 2020 was "impossible".

Monaco Grand Prix later in 2020 was "impossible".

Holding a Monaco Grand Prix at a later date in 2020 was “impossible” due to the number of people involved, according to the organisers.

The first 10 rounds of the original 2020 season have been put on hold, but the Monaco Grand Prix as well as the Australian Grand Prix were the only races to be cancelled.

Many of the other events are hoping to slot in to a redesigned 2020 schedule, but Monaco organisers say that for them moving the race to a later date in the year was “impossible”.

Speaking to the FIA’s AUTO publication, Michel Boeri, President of the Automobile Club de Monaco, said: “It is not realistic.

“To ask the 1500 volunteers to switch their availability from May to August, or companies, some of which are far from here, to come back and build the circuit later? It was impossible. We were stuck.

“In addition, we are not the only ones in the Principality of Monaco: there are so many events between August and October, we cannot overlap, especially when we know that it takes us 45 days to build the circuit and 25 to deconstruct.

“Everything was in place, the construction of the circuit had started and we had already sold more than 80 per cent of the tickets.

“Unfortunately, it became impossible to fight against an epidemic that was gaining ground, and with the FIA and Formula 1 announcing that the events of the month of May could not be held, we had no other choice.

“Such a decision was not taken lightly, and after careful consideration as to the gravity of this crisis worldwide.”

The cancellation means that 2020 will be the first season not to feature a Monaco Grand Prix since 1954.

Follow us on Twitter @Planet_F1 and like our Facebook page.