Monaco Grand Prix officially cancelled and will not be on rescheduled 2020 F1 calendar

The Monaco Grand Prix will not be rescheduled in 2020 after it was decided that Formula One’s blue-riband event in the Principality was “untenable” due to the difficulties in running it.

Work had already begun on the streets of Monte Carlo to prepare for this year’s Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place on 21-24 May, but a meeting on Thursday between Formula One team bosses, the FIA and F1 itself decided to postpone the race along with the Dutch and Spanish rounds.

But before F1 could look to reschedule the Monaco Grand Prix, race organisers took the decision to cancel it completely, meaning there will not be a return until 2021.

In a statement, the Automobile Club of Monaco said: "The current situation concerning the worldwide pandemic and its unknown path of evolution, the lack of understanding as to the impact on the world championship, the uncertainty with regards to the participation of the teams... the multi-border restrictions for accessing the Principality of Monaco, the pressure on all implicated businesses, their dedicated staff who are unable to undertake the necessary installations, the availability of the indispensable workforce and volunteers (more than 1500) required for the success of the event means that the situation is no longer tenable."

The decision came hours after Prince Albert of Monaco confirmed that he had been diagnosed with coronavirus, with the 62-year-old one of the most high-profile figures in the world to contract Covid-19.

The move is a blow for F1 given how grand an affair the event in Monaco is, with famous faces from outside the sport regularly in attendance to make it the most glamorous race on the schedule. However, officials were already facing difficult decisions in restructuring the 2020 calendar, and the removal of the Monaco Grand Prix - on top of the cancelled Australian Grand Prix - means they are left with 20 races to try and squeeze into the remainder of the year.

It’s understood that the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona could also be under threat of cancellation though a decision is yet to be made, while F1 has stressed that the Bahrain, Vietnamese and Chinese rounds have been postponed and not cancelled.

There is also a large desire to see F1 return to the Netherlands, with Zandvoort due to host the Dutch Grand Prix for the first time since 1985. A new date during the initial summer break in August looks most likely, which could sit neatly next to the Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in neighbouring Belgium.

Issuing a statement after Thursday’s crisis talks, Formula One chief executive Chase Carey said: "At the meeting there was full support for the plans to reschedule as many of the postponed races as possible as soon as it is safe to do so.

"Formula One and the FIA will now work to finalise a revised 2020 calendar and will consult with the teams, but as agreed at the meeting the revised calendar will not require their formal approval.

"This will give us the necessary flexibility to agree revised timings with affected race promoters and to be ready to start racing at the right moment."

It was also confirmed following Thursday’s meeting that the regulations will be frozen for 2021, with the planned rule shake-up postponed by a year under agreement of all teams.

The provisional move is in place so teams - desperately worried about the financial hit of a reduced calendar - do not have to spend money building a new car. Ferrari had been against the proposal, but under pressure from their rivals, changed their minds.