Formula 1 news - Bahrain and Vietnam GPs latest to be cancelled

Formula One will call off the Bahrain and Vietnamese Grands Prix after the cancellation of Sunday's Australian season-opener due to the coronavirus outbreak, multiple F1 sources told Reuters on Friday.

Bahrain's March 22 race, the second on the calendar, was already scheduled to be run without spectators under floodlights at the Sakhir circuit.

Vietnam's first Formula One grand prix was scheduled for April 5 on the streets of Hanoi as the third round of the season.

Sources said Formula One, which has already postponed the April 19 Chinese Grand Prix, was set to make an official announcement later.

"This is a difficult decision," the organiser said in an emailed statement.

The decision came after the Southeast Asian country's coronavirus cases rose to 47 as of Friday, the Ministry of Health said.

Vietnam Grand Prix said it will monitor the situation of the coronavirus and pick another time for the race.

The Australian Formula One Grand Prix was cancelled on Friday because of the coronavirus outbreak only hours before the first practice session was scheduled to get underway at Albert Park.

The fourth race on the calendar is scheduled to be the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on May 3, a home grand prix for Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

There is uncertainty too about that, however, with a ban already in force in the Netherlands on gatherings of more than 100 people.