Gérard Neveu (WEC) discusses the cancellation of the Sebring event

When did you make the decision to cancel the race? 

As you know, we have been closely monitoring the situation, but as soon as President Trump announced the ban on flights from the European continent (21:00 p.m. Eastern Time, March 11, 2020), we knew we had no choice but to immediately cancel the race.

Many members of our paddock come from the Schengen zone and there was no way the race could take place without them. We acted quickly because many team members – within the WEC like our competitors – were about to fly to Florida. We released the information as quickly as possible in Europe to warn everyone to cancel or change their schedule.

Could you have made this decision sooner? 

Working in coordination with theIMSA and the Sebring Raceway and, taking into account the advice of the WHO (World Health Organization, editor's note) and the federal public health authorities as well as the various states of the United States until March 11, it was not necessary to make this decision sooner. So we were moving forward. There were of course concerns, particularly about the situation in Italy that we were analyzing, but yesterday at 17 p.m. it was still possible to race.

Will the race take place on another date? 

Our season takes place over two calendar years, and this choice is more difficult for us than, say, for IMSA, which could easily postpone a race a little later in the year. It is difficult to say more about this today. At this stage, it hardly needs to be said that we are all extremely disappointed.

SuperSebring is not only an event of great importance in the endurance calendar in terms of visibility in the United States and results, but from a personal point of view, this race is a favorite of almost all parties involved. We are facing a very difficult situation, unprecedented, unpredictable, and extremely fluctuating from day to day.

What will happen to all the freight and infrastructure already in place? 

The WEC Logistics and Sport team was already on site in Florida for their installation. Along with our logistics partner DHL Global Forwarding, it will ensure the proper packaging and return of all this equipment to Europe. This is a huge task, and we have a great team to accomplish it.

For the occasion, I would like to warmly thank the entire organizational team as well as the various suppliers involved in this very difficult situation and who are working day and night to resolve the problems. A big thank you also to our partners at IMSA and all WEC competitors for their full support in these unprecedented and difficult circumstances.

What impact do these events have on the WEC? 

Before answering this question, our first – and most important – concern is for people infected with the virus, wherever they are. Above all, we must look out for each other and close ranks, supporting each other to overcome this coronavirus pandemic. 

That said, like many other motorsport championships, companies and organizations, the commercial, sporting and human impact of all this on the future will be considerable, so we must work even harder to adapt, refine, renew and revitalize our championship. I'm not saying it will be easy but it's what we have to do. 

In the short term, however, we must remember that we are in the midst of a transition – even if it is a situation that will not end definitively. We need to stay calm, care for those we are closest to, and tackle new challenges each day as they arise.

Will other races be canceled? 

We are more than aware that this is a rapidly evolving situation, and one that none of us have ever faced. Honestly, at this point in time, we can't answer that question because it's not just a decision we have to make. We will keep you informed as soon as possible. Of course, we will maintain our special Covid-19 unit and continue to keep our paddock informed of any new developments.