Organisers postpone Indonesia round

The race, planned for next weekend, has been canned following the death of Dubai Emir Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the uncle of series founder Sheikh Maktoum, who died yesterday.

Series organisers say they are working with the circuit and the government to identify an appropriate replacement date.

Maktoum's nation of Dubai, where the last round of the series was held, has gone into 40 days of national mourning following the news, and the series organisers felt it appropriate to postpone the event during this period.

One option for a replacement date is the weekend of February 12, which was originally scheduled to host the Brazilian round. This was cancelled last month after problems with the circuit specification.

Tony Teixeira, CEO of A1 Grand Prix said: "The entire staff, team owners and associates of the A1 Grand Prix family mourn the loss of a great visionary and benevolent ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

"While difficult logistically, we felt it important to observe a respectable period of mourning for this beloved family member of our founder, president and chairman, Sheikh Maktoum. Condolences and sympathies are respectfully offered to all the peoples of Dubai."

An official statement paid tribute to Maktoum: "He was instrumental in overseeing many of Dubai's initial infrastructure projects including the Dubai Airport, the installation of the country's electricity grid as well as numerous schools and modern residential districts.

"He also funded a great number of charitable projects including orphanages in the developing world and the construction of schools both inside and outside the UAE."