Ferrari shuts down F1 and road-car factories amid coronavirus outbreak
By James Galloway
Last Updated: 15/03/20 2:17pm
Ferrari has suspended production at its F1 and road-car factories due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Italian firm announced the shut-down would start immediately and last until March 27. Ferrari's F1 factory is based in Maranello.
"The decision has been taken by the company for its employees' well-being and follows a number of rigorous preventive measures already implemented by the company to guarantee the highest health standards in light of the Italian Government's decree on COVID-19 issued on March 11, as well as previous decrees," read a company statement.
"The company, that had ensured continued production so far whilst placing employees' wellbeing as its main priority, is now experiencing the first serious supply chain issues, which no longer allow for continued production."
F1 postpones Bahrain and Vietnam GPs
Ferrari added that "all non-manufacturing-related activity will continue on a regular basis" with remote working.
It is unknown when the 2020 Formula 1 season will now start.
F1 has said they "expect to begin the Championship in Europe at the end of May" but this will be "regularly reviewed" amid the growing crisis.
This weekend's season-opening round in Australia was cancelled, with the following two events in Bahrain and Vietnam subsequently postponed.
The Chinese GP, which was scheduled to be round four in mid-April, had already been postponed last month.
That leaves the Dutch GP on May 3 and the Spanish GP on May 10 as the next scheduled events, but organisers of both races have said this weekend that they are in talks with F1 authorities over the situation.
The showpiece Monaco GP would therefore be the next round on May 24, with the Azerbaijan GP in Baku then scheduled for a fortnight later.
