China Grand Prix cancelled for fourth successive year due to COVID

The last time the race was staged in Shanghai was in 2019.

FILE: Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen takes a corner during the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on 14 April 2019. Picture: Greg Baker/AFP

PARIS – Formula One chiefs cancelled the China Grand Prix for a fourth straight year on Friday, citing continuing problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Formula 1 can confirm, following dialogue with the promoter and relevant authorities, that the 2023 Chinese Grand Prix will not take place due to the ongoing difficulties presented by the COVID-19 situation,” read a statement on their website.

“Formula 1 is assessing alternative options to replace the slot on the 2023 calendar and will provide an update on this in due course.”

The last time the race was staged in Shanghai was in 2019.

The decision comes at a time when cities across China further unwound COVID restrictions Friday, loosening testing and quarantine rules in the wake of nationwide protests calling for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedoms.

Anger over China’s zero-COVID policy – which involves mass lockdowns, constant testing and quarantines even for people who are not infected – has sparked protests in major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

For all the latest Sports News Click Here 

Read original article here

Denial of responsibility! TechAI is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email – [email protected]. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.