In an effort to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) has announced today that the fourth round of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival will be hosted as a closed-door event.
The racing event scheduled for 18th and 19th April 2020 at the Sepang International Circuit will still go ahead as planned, albeit without spectators.
On the event days, only essential essential crew members, racers and race teams are allowed to be within the compound. UMWT will also be conducting mandatory health screenings for all participants prior to entering the race premise.
UMW Toyota Motor Chief Motorsports Officer, Akio Takeyama said in the release, “We trust that our fans appreciate the current situation. All the races will still be published live on Toyota’s Facebook and YouTube accounts and we invite everyone to cheer on their favourite racers and celebrities by tuning in to the live shows”.
Separately, Malaysia Speed Festival (MSF) has also released a statement today announcing that its MSF Round 1 event, scheduled for 15 March, will also be held as a closed-door event.
The grandstand will be closed to the public, and only race teams, accredited media and essential personnel will be allowed into the paddock – after signing a medical declaration notice.
Globally, most top-level sporting events have been cancelled in view of the public health and wellbeing. The season-opener for the 2020 Formula 1 season in Melbourne, which was scheduled to kick-off this weekend, has also been cancelled – hours before the start of the first practice session.
