The 2020 Le Mans 24-hour sportscar race has been postponed from June 13-14 to September 19-20 due to the coronavirus outbreak, its organisers said on Wednesday.
"Postponing the 24 Hours of Le Mans from the original dates in June is now the most appropriate way forward in the current exceptional circumstances," said Automobile Club de L'Ouest (ACO) president Pierre Fillon in a statement.
France responded to the pandemic on Tuesday by putting its 67-million people under lockdown in an unprecedented act during peacetime.
Le Mans, which will be hosting the 88th edition of the endurance classic at the Sarthe circuit in northwest France, has long been a magnet for UK motor racing fans, with tens of thousands usually making the trek.