"Force majeure" Brazilian Grand Prix cancellation "just doesn't stand up"

Brazilian Grand Prix promoter Tamas Rohonyi has said he "cannot accept" the "force majeure" reasoning for cancelling the November event.

Formula 1 has cancelled all four races due to be held on the American continents in 2020, and although the decision came as no shock to Rohonyi, he says, "The reasoning behind it, we cannot accept.

Speaking to Motorsport.com, he explained: “They talk about the virus infection rate in Brazil, which is a bit like comparing California to Florida in a country like Brazil, which is of continental dimensions.

“We have all the numbers for the state and the city of Sao Paulo. This data has been submitted to the FIA Medical Commission by our own medical officer, who is by the way, its vice president. And they are very good figures. In fact, if you look at the figures of Sao Paulo, even Brazil, in a proportional base, compared to England, it's much better.

“So when you read this cancellation notice we got from the FOM yesterday, it just doesn't stand up. It's clearly sort of an almost invented reasoning to cancel the race.”

Rohonyi claims to have a "100 percent bulletproof plan" for racing safely at Interlagos, a plan that has been built around the FIA 'return to racing' guidelines issued ahead of the start of the season.

Interlagos was due to host the final race of its current contract in 2020, but the promoter is now seeking legal council as he claims nothing in the contract allows for a cancellation by force majeure.

Rohonyi concluded: “F1 promoter agreements have only one clause which would allow any of the two parties to break off the contract, and none of this is force majeure. We are taking legal advice because there are massive losses by the municipality, and by my company.”

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