The Wales Rally GB, due to take place from 29 October to 1 November, has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Around 100,000 spectators had been expected to attend the event, which was to be the penultimate round of the 2020 World Rally Championship, and the final round of both the FIA Junior World Rally Championship and the British Rally Championship.
However, with lockdown measures in the principality still tight and with no schedule for easing, organisers have concluded that they have no option but to scrub the event.
“This is not a decision that we have taken lightly but, in close consultation with our chief funding partner the Welsh Government, it is sadly one we are obliged to make in light of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic,” explained David Richards CBE, Chairman of Motorsport UK.
“While significant progress is being made to combat the virus, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding mass gatherings, social distancing and travel restrictions, plus the possibility of a resurgence of viral transmission later in the year.”
First run in 1932, Rally GB is one of just two rounds to have been a permanent fixture in the annual FIA World Rally Championship since the series’ inauguration back in 1973. The event has been cancelled in the past, for the duration of WWII, in 1957 due to the Suez Crisis causing petrol shortages, and in 1967 due to a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. Wales has hosted the event for the past two decades, with the event contributing over £9m to the local economy each year.
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