PARIS: The Spanish MotoGP due to be staged on May 3 has become the latest sporting casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has obliged the event to be rescheduled,” organisers announced on Thursday.

“As the situation remains in a state of constant evolution, a new date for the Spanish GP cannot be confirmed until it becomes clearer when exactly it will be possible to hold the event,” a statement added.

The postponement of the race at the Jerez circuit follows the cancellation of the elite category season-opening MotoGP in Qatar.

The next three legs of the 2020 calendar in Thailand, Texas and Argentina have also been put on ice, with Dorna, the series promoter, hoping to run them in the second half of a truncated season.

Dorna has already said it will push back the end of the season two weeks to 29 November. “A revised calendar will be published as soon as available,” Thursday’s statement from the promoter and FIM, motor cycling’s ruling body, added.

The season is now due to open with the French Grand Prix at Le Mans’ Bugatti circuit on May 17.

Spain has been gravely hit by the virus, with the COVID-19 death toll topping 4,000 in the latest official tally, surpassing the 3,281 fatalities reported by China where the virus emerged late last year.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2020