6H Spa Postponed; WEC Working to Secure New Date

The FIA World Endurance Championship has announced the postponement of the Total 6 Hours of Spa which was due to take place on Apr. 25.

The penultimate round of the 2019-20 WEC season will not be held on its original date next month as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

However, unlike the 1000 Miles of Sebring which was canceled last week, the Spa race has been postponed meaning that the WEC is working to find a replacement date.

A statement from the series confirmed that its visit to Belgium will be rearranged for a weekend in 2020, although it’s currently unclear if this will be in the 2019-20 season or the 2020-21 campaign.

Spa is already a part of the next WEC season as the penultimate round in April 2021.

A WEC statement said that the postponement of this year’s race came after discussions between the ACO, local partners and Belgium’s national motorsport federation the RACB.

Last Friday, the Spa circuit announced that it would be closed until Apr. 3 in accordance with the Belgian government’s order to ban all sporting and cultural activities.

Europe is now at the center of the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in 6,470 deaths globally according to the latest World Health Organization data.

No deaths have been recorded in Belgium, although 886 cases of the virus have been confirmed.

Belgium’s neighboring countries have also been affected, with 127 deaths registered in France, 20 in the Netherlands, 12 in Germany and one in Luxembourg.

“This decision was the only responsible option to be taken at this time. The health and well-being of our competitors, fans and members of the paddock has to remain our priority,” said WEC CEO Gerard Neveu.

“We are working on a revised date for the Total 6 Hours of Spa and will communicate that as soon as possible.”

Tickets for the postponed event will remain valid for the rearranged date, while people unable to attend on the rearranged date can contact their ticket provider for a refund.