Turkish Grand Prix postponed as F1 shuffles calendar

BERLIN: The Turkish Grand Prix will not take place as scheduled next month and could be held later in the season as a consequence of the coronavirus numbers in the country, Formula One said on Friday.

Britain and other countries have put Turkey on their 'red list' for travel meaning those returning from visits there must go into lengthy period of mandatory quarantine.

With several F1 teams based in the UK, organisers agreed to postpone the June 13 race with the hope of holding it later in the year, reports DPA.

For the same reason football's UEFA has moved the May 29 Champions League final between English teams Manchester City and Chelsea from Istanbul to Porto.

An additional race will be held in Austria with the Styrian Grand Prix on June 27 now a week before the original Austrian Grand Prix on July 4.

This extra race means the French Grand Prix will be brought forward a week to June 20. "We were all looking forward to racing in Turkey but the travel restrictions in place have meant we are not able to be there in June," Stefano Domenicali, F1 president and CEO said.

The Turkish race at Istanbul Park returned to the altered 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic and was retained this year in place of the Canadian Grand Prix. IANS

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