Silverstone has confirmed it has set a deadline of the end of April to determine if this year’s Formula 1 British Grand Prix will go ahead.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the first eight races of the 2020 F1 season to either be cancelled or postponed.
No decision has yet been taken on the British GP, scheduled for 17-19 July, but a number of international sporting events scheduled for the summer including the Olympic Games in Tokyo have already been called off.
The promoters of the British GP confirmed on Wednesday that any decision on the race would have to be taken by the end of April.
“Silverstone and Formula 1 remain in close dialogue regarding the ongoing situation and are assessing the viability of holding the British Grand Prix on 17-19 July,” a statement reads.
“We fully appreciate that other UK sporting events in July have taken decisions regarding their events, but it is important to highlight that their logistics and sporting arrangements differ from Silverstone’s and, therefore, our timeline gives us until the end of April to make a final decision.
“The safety of our fans, colleagues and the F1 community will be our priority and we will continue to engage with the appropriate authorities.”
In the most recent update issued by F1 issued last week, CEO and chairman Chase Carey said he anticipated a 15-18 race calendar starting in the summer.
The Canadian Grand Prix on 14 June currently stands as the first race yet to be scrapped.
No decisions have been made in France or Austria either, both of which precede Silverstone on the calendar.
All major sports in Great Britain are at the moment suspended as the country still on lockdown in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
