Motorsport UK COVID-19 Update Tuesday 17 March 2020

It is with regret that Motorsport UK is suspending all organising permits and Certificates of Exemption until at least 30th April 2020. This suspension follows the latest guidance issued by HM UK Government in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. This position will be constantly reviewed given prevailing information. As the National Governing Body, we would ask all Motorsport UK members to act responsibly and follow the Government’s guidance during this difficult time. We thank all of our members, organisers, officials, volunteers, staff and their families for their support during these unprecedented times. We will continue to monitor the situation and will resume sporting activity as soon as we are able. We also have a responsibility and duty of care to our staff who will be working from home, so please be patient with any queries you may have. David Richards, chairman of Motorsport UK, explained, “Clearly we live in challenging times and exceptional measures are required. The decision to suspend Motorsport UK permits on a temporary basis is not one that was taken lightly as the industry employs many thousands of people. However we have an over-riding responsibility to our members and the friends and families of our community. Furthermore, our social responsibilities extend to the broader population and the potential drain on valuable public health resources on which we are all reliant. “The situation is very fluid and we will continue to monitor developments over the coming weeks and hope that we can resume the annual motorsport calendar at the opportune moment. In the immediate short term our efforts need to be focused on ensuring that the industry that backs up the sport has the financial support that it requires from the Government in order that it can be sustained beyond this extraordinary scenario.”

BARC Headquarters Update

In line with the government’s public health advice and the direction of Motorsport UK, the British Automobile Racing Club is suspending all motor sport activity with immediate effect until the end of April 2020.

We understand that this will be a great disappointment to many people, including competitors, teams, officials, marshals, fans and our members. However, in the current climate, it is clear that this is the correct course of action.

We will continue to monitor the situation in the coming weeks and we look forward to a resumption of activities as soon as possible, at which time we will look to reschedule the events that have been postponed.

In the meantime, we urge everyone across the wider motor sport community to follow all official guidance and do what they can to keep themselves and others safe and well.

Thank you for your understanding.

Ben Taylor BARC Chief Executive