"Baku City Circuit (BCC) has today taken the decision to postpone the FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2020 due to take place on June 5th - 7th", said the organizers in statement.
So as La Liga's footballers finish up a weekend of Federation Internationale de Football Association 20, the organisers of Formula 1 have announced the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series, which will see "a number of current F1 drivers" playing Codemasters' official F1 2019 game on PC and having it broadcast worldwide. The official F1 blog says that this "includes running equal auto performance with fixed setups, reduced vehicle damage, and optional anti-lock brakes and traction control for those less familiar with the game".
Six-time Olympic champion Chris Hoy, former One Direction member Liam Payne and golfer Ian Poulter were all part of the star-studded grid, which featured just two current F1 drivers.
While it's clearly not the same as the real thing, the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series is a brilliant - and sometimes hilarious - way to allow fans to get their F1 fix during this hard time.
To combat scheduling issues in the second half of the year, F1 has already agreed to bring the usual summer shutdown forward to March and April, freeing up three weekends in August when additional events can be held.
"See you soon and in the meantime, take care of yourself and others".
According to the Esports Charts analytics agency, viewership for Formula One's inaugural Bahrain Virtual Grand Prix last weekend averaged 289,000 concurrent streams and peaked at 359,000.
These virtual races are scheduled through May although F1 did point out that the F1 Esports Virtual GP Initiative could be extended beyond May if the COVID-19 outbreak results in further real-world race cancellations.
"Formula One will be one of several offerings aiming to fill the gap this weekend, with some Formula One drivers also involved in those".
What F1 races have been called off? At the time of publishing, there have been 292,142 cases and 12,784 deaths confirmed globally.
It's important to note that this virus does not discriminate in who it infects.
Sporting events around the world have been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
