The 2020 edition of the Bahrain Grand Prix will be held without spectators in the stands due to fears over the spread of the Coronavirus.

The outbreak has wreaked havoc on the 2020 calendar, with the Chinese race already being postponed and doubts still remaining over the Vietnamese showpiece despite organisers' claims that it will go ahead as planned.

Ferrari, in particular, have massive concerns about their upcoming travels.

Due to the widespread nature of the outbreak in Italy, many of the Ferrari team may have to be held in quarantine when arriving in some countries which could make their participation in certain races almost impossible.

Now, the Bahrain authorities are the latest to take action, declaring that their event will be held on a 'participant only' basis with no spectators allowed to attend the event.

 "Given the continued spread of Covid-19 globally, 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 said in a statement on Sunday.

The race will still be broadcast on television but will surely make for a ghostly spectacle with no fans watching on in the terraces surrounding the glitzy desert circuit.

When you consider that last year's event attracted a record crowd of 97,000 people, the prospect of a race in front of absolutely no fans at all just sounds awful.

However, with 62 cases of Coronavirus so far recorded in Bahrain, you can't question the decision and you can be certain that organisers thought long and hard about it before making the call.

Lewis Hamilton is once again the favourite to win the drivers title this year with Mercedes showcasing some serious speed in recent tests in Barcelona.

Toto Wolff and his team will be quietly confident, should the calendar permit, of winning yet another double title this season.