The Bahrain Formula One grand prix will be held without fans in attendance later this month due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, organisers said on Sunday.

The Gulf Arab state, which is hosting the second round of the F1 season on March 22, seven days after the opening race in Melbourne, has reported 83 cases of the virus, mostly linked to people who had travelled to Iran.

“Convening a major sporting event, which is open to the public and allows thousands of international travellers and local fans to interact in close proximity would not be the right thing to do at the present time,” the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) said in a statement posted on Facebook.

“To ensure that neither the sport, nor its global supporter base, is unduly impacted, the race weekend itself will still go ahead as a televised event.

“We know how disappointed many will be by this news, especially for those planning to travel to the event, which has become a cornerstone event of the international F1 calendar, but safety has to remain our utmost priority,” the statement added.

Organisers suspended ticket sales on Saturday as they assessed how many spectators would be allowed to attend the race.

Bahrain has asked people entering the country who have recently visited Italy, South Korea, Egypt and Lebanon to isolate themselves for two weeks.