Source: Autosport
There have been numerous cancellation and postponement of races and events because of Covid-19 outbreak. This includes Formula 1, MotoGP, WEC, NTC and various other motorsport events.
The 2020 Isle of Man TT joins this long list. This event was initially set to happen from 30 May to 13 June 2020. The decision to cancel the event was made earlier on Monday. This is because of the coronavirus cases in the UK have passed over 1000 in recent days.
Before this, the Isle of Man TT was cancelled in 2001. It was because of the foot and mouth disease outbreak back then.
Source : Autosport
As quoted by Autosport, Laurence Skelly, Minister for Enterprise, commented: “The decision to cancel has not been taken lightly. All options including postponement and delaying the decision have been considered in detail.”
“Representatives from the Isle of Man Government will now discuss the implications with all relevant businesses, stakeholders and individuals affected by this cancellation, which it recognises will be significant.”
“With the visitor restriction in place for the foreseeable future we wanted to make the decision now to give businesses, visitors and all involved stakeholders time to manage the impact going forward.”
“The Isle of Man, and the Isle of Man TT, are faced with unique challenges regarding COVID-19 and making this decision will provide certainty to teams, competitors, sponsors and stakeholders of the event and to visitors across the globe.”
“The decision also aims to provide reassurance for our residents and healthcare professionals that the health and well-being of the Isle of Man’s residents is the single biggest priority and focus of this Government.”