Organisers of the Hungarian Grand Prix have confirmed that their Formula 1 event will be held without spectators, if it happens at all in 2020.
Formula 1 intends to begin its campaign in July with successive races in Austria and Britain, at which only essential personnel will be permitted.
The Hungarian Grand Prix was scheduled for August 2nd on the original 2020 calendar.
On Thursday the Hungarian government banned events of over 500 people until August 15th, a decision the Hungaroring confirmed has “clearly had a direct impact” on its grand prix.
In a statement issued on Friday organisers at the venue revealed that they had been “regrettably left with no choice but to reach the conclusion” to prohibit fans from attending a grand prix.
“We have continuously emphasised our willingness to work towards a safe solution that would allow us to welcome the entire Formula 1 family to the Hungaroring this August but it is now evident that any F1 race in Hungary can now only be held behind closed doors,” confirmed organisers.
“While this is not an ideal scenario, we do believe that staging the event behind closed doors – which our fans can still watch on television – is preferable to not having a race at all.
“Furthermore, it will also ensure that a global audience of millions can still watch the race taking place in Hungary via F1’s vast international broadcast coverage.
“As such, we are continuing our working with Formula 1 to try and find a way to make this possible.”
Fans who have already purchased tickets will be able to transfer their ticket to the 2021 edition or request a refund.
