The FIA has continued their work with IFRC during the COVID-19 pandemic ©FIA

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has teamed up with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to continue their partnership through raising awareness of COVID-19.

With six years of working together to date, the two bodies are switching their focus from global road safety with a new phase of doing their part to curb the ongoing pandemic.

An immediate donation of €1 million (£891,000/$1.08 million) from the FIA Foundation has been made to IFRC's global response to the virus.

A charity auction will also be held in cooperation with RM Sotheby's with proceeds going towards the cause too. 

Motor sport drivers, including some of Formula One's biggest stars will be involved in the auctioning off and bidding of items when the benefit runs from June 15 to 22 under the banner "Online Only: Race Against COVID".

When motorsport restarts, IFRC will work closely with health and national sport authorities to deliver guidance and preventative health support about COVID-19 to drivers and staff.

The two parties have previously worked on the FIA Road Safety Grant Programme and will continue to strengthen its partnership during the pandemic.

IFRC secretary general Jagan Chapagain said: "IFRC's long partnership with FIA to improve road safety has turned into a race against COVID-19.

"Stopping the spread of this coronavirus requires teamwork and our partnership reflects our strong and collective commitment to support the Red Cross and Red Crescent's global response to ending this pandemic."

FIA President Jean Todt had previously said in an interview with racefans.net earlier in May that the pandemic should highlight the deaths caused by road accidents across the world, totalling around 1.25 million a year, which is significantly higher than the number of deaths caused by COVID-19.

He added in the FIA statement about the partnership with IFRC: "Following a six-year partnership aimed at improving global road safety, FIA and IFRC are now entering a new phase in their collaboration.

"Indeed, in these difficult times, health, mobility and sport must walk together. 

"We join forces in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and our FIA Sport and Mobility Clubs' network will play an important role in this reinforced cooperation."

To date, there are more than 4.56 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, resulting in the deaths of over 304,000 people.