Looking at what’s been going on around the globe as far as the effect this Coronavirus pandemic has had on sports leagues, we have to be realistic and expect the worse as fans.

The NBA, NBL, MLS and the NHL have suspended their seasons, while the NCAA pulled the plug on March Madness as well. Meanwhile, all major European soccer competitions have also been halted – including the Euro 2020 that has been postponed for next year.

Sure, there are talks about resuming play in a few short months, or perhaps towards the end of summer, but as you’ve probably been able to ascertain, sports governing bodies can’t do much more but hope for the best at this moment.

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So where does this leave Formula 1? A truly global motorsport, which takes place on five of the world’s seven continents. Well, the first thing the FIA did was to cancel the season opener in Australia after a McLaren team member tested positive for COVID-19.

Shortly afterwards, the Bahrain and Vietnam Grand Prix were postponed, though even if they would have taken place, it would have been without any fans in attendance.

“In view of the continued global spread of COVID-19 and after ongoing discussions with the FIA, the Bahrain International Circuit, the Bahrain Motor Federation and the Hanoi People’s Committee, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Automobile Association of Vietnam and the promoter, Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation, a decision has been taken by all parties to postpone both races due to take place on the 20th – 22nd March and 3rd – 5th April respectively.”

What happens next?

Well, at this point it’s impossible to know. What we can tell you is that the next two races on the calendar would have been the Dutch Grand Prix on May 3rd and the Spanish Grand Prix on May 10th.

Dutch race officials have stated that they are aware of a possible postponement and that they are in “joint consultation” with F1 management and the FIA about “the possible consequences for the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix.”

Since big competitions such as the UEFA EURO 2020 soccer tournament was pushed back to 2021, it’s not a stretch to assume that no sporting events are going to take place throughout this summer, leaving us only with a few spare months before we say goodbye to a rather unfriendly 2020.

Such a scenario would not bode well for Formula 1, and could have dire financial consequences, especially on smaller, non-works teams.

Does this official statement fill you with confidence?

“Formula 1 and the FIA expect to begin the Championship in Europe at the end of May but given the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Europe in recent days, this will be regularly reviewed.”

If you’re a Formula 1 fan, it most definitely wouldn’t hurt for you to begin looking forward to 2021 effective immediately. Sure, we’re still rooting for the FIA to find a way to play out this year’s championship, but that’s not exactly something they can control, at least not if they want to keep people safe and stop the spread of the pandemic.

On the “bright side”, we know that this season was going to be a transition year for most teams, building on their performance from 2019. It’s 2021 that will really switch things up thanks to all the new regulations.