F1 broadcaster to skip Vietnam over coronavirus

Hanoi pit building

(GMM) F1 may be pressing ahead with the inaugural Vietnam GP, but the German broadcaster RTL will not be joining the rest of the Formula 1 world in Hanoi.

One day after race organizers said the coronavirus crisis would not cause the postponement or cancellation of the April 5 event, RTL has taken its own action.

"We have a high level of responsibility to our employees," RTL sports boss Manfred Loppe said.

"After careful examination, we believe that in reporting from Hanoi, the risks to their health appear to be too great," he added.

Instead, Loppe said the usual RTL team will instead report from a studio in Cologne.

"We came to this decision after querying numerous information points, and the bottom line is that we did not receive what we considered to be a reliable assessment of the situation on site," he said.