MotoGP: Coronavirus pandemic hits two Grand Prixs

By Emre Asikci

ANKARA (AA) - The British and Australian 2020 Grand Prixs have been canceled due to coronavirus pandemic, MotoGP announced on Friday.

"The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports regret to announce the cancellation of the British and Australian Grands Prix. The ongoing coronavirus outbreak and resulting calendar changes have obliged the cancellation of both events," MotoGP said on its website.

The 2020 season has been completely disrupted by the pandemic, with the season opener in Qatar canceled a week before schedule.

The Spanish, French, Italian, Thai, US, and Argentine races were postponed and no new dates have been announced.

"We’re saddened to have to announce the cancellation of these iconic events after finding no way through the logistical and operational issues resulting from the pandemic and rearranged calendar," Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports said in a statement.

The British Grand Prix was set to take place between Aug. 28-30, while the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix was set to hold between Oct. 23-25.

Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.

The US, Russia, Brazil, and several European countries are currently the hardest hit in the world.

The pandemic has killed over 360,000 people worldwide, with more than 5.8 million confirmed cases, while recoveries have surpassed 2.4 million, according to Johns Hopkins University data.