Vietnam’s first Formula One (F1) grand prix will take place as planned on April 5, Reuters quoted Formula One Chief Executive Chase Carey as saying, despite concern about the coronavirus epidemic.
“The Vietnam Grand Prix will take place on April 5 in Hanoi. And to anticipate another question, we do plan to proceed with the race,” Chase Carey told analysts on a 2019 Q4 earnings call.
Carey said he would visit Hanoi on March 16, the day after the Australian season-opener in Melbourne.
The street race in Hanoi will be the third round of the season, after Melbourne (Australia) and Bahrain.
| A view of the F1 race track in Hanoi |
Construction on the 23-turn 5.6-kilometer track in Hanoi has been completed on schedule and meeting strict technical requirements by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), said Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation CEO Le Ngoc Chi.
“We are ready and can’t wait to welcome the world to Hanoi very soon,” Chi said in a statement.
The F1 race in Hanoi is expected to give a big boost to the local economy and reaffirm Vietnam as a safe destination.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Grand Prix scheduled for Shanghai on April 19 was called off this month.
Vietnam has detected people infected with Covid-19 and all have been cured. No new cases have been recorded since February 13, according to the Vietnamese health ministry.
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