The amount of preparation needed by the organisers to hold the night race in the city-state is too difficult to execute given the COVID-19 disruption. The Japan and Azerbaijan events have been cancelled.

Formula 1 motor racing – the global series sponsored by UBS – will not go ahead in Singapore, Azerbaijan and Japan this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The total number of races has been narrowed because of the disruption.

The Singapore race had been scheduled to go ahead on 20 September and, as before, would have been held at night. It is one of the largest fixtures in the Asian city-state’s sporting calendar. The event is a chance for Singapore, a major financial hub competing with the likes of Hong Kong, to show its face to a wider audience. 

“While there are still more than three months to go before the scheduled race on 20 September, we regret to announce that we will be unable to proceed with the race due to the prohibitions imposed on access and construction of the event venue required for a street race to be held in the city,” a statement from the motor racing organisers, Singapore GP Pte, said on 12 June.

“Confirmation of the cancellation will also give certainty to our fans, ticketholders, and commercial partners. Apart from the closure of the event venue, other challenges include ongoing mass gathering and worldwide travel restrictions. These and other measures were understandably put in place by the Singapore Government and the various authorities to prioritise safety and are targeted to manage the COVID-19 pandemic,” it said.

The Singapore race takes place in the city’s streets, requiring weeks of preparation ahead of the event, contrasting with race circuits in some countries that are in open countryside or purpose-built without interfering with a city’s streets, such as Bahrain in the Middle East, Spa in Belgium or Silverstone in the UK.

In another race category - endurance racing - the annual 24-hour race at Le Mans in France has been postponed until 19 September.

In a separate statement about the three cancelled races in Japan, Singapore and Azerbaijan, F1 said: "These decisions have been taken due to the different challenges our promoters face in those countries. In Singapore and Azerbaijan the long lead times required to construct street circuits made hosting the events during a period of uncertainty impossible and in Japan, ongoing travel restrictions also led to the decision not to proceed with the race."