Formula 1 bosses have revealed the opening eight rounds of the revised 2020 calendar, which will feature a pair of races at Silverstone on 2 August and 9 August.
The eight European races announced are headed by a pair of races at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on 5 July 5 and 12 July. They are the first part of a planned 15-18 race schedule that will also feature events in Asia, the Americas and the Middle East.
The two races at Silverstone will be held a few weeks later than the originally planned July dates.
As well as the double-header races in Austria and the UK, the revised calendar also includes races in Hungary, Spain, Belgium and Italy.
The opening races will be closed to spectators, but F1 chairman Chase Carey said: “While we currently expect the season to commence without fans at our races, we hope that over the coming months the situation will allow us to welcome them back once it is safe to do, but we know the return of Formula 1 will be a welcome boost to sports fans around the world.”
F1 chiefs added that “the health and safety of all involved will continue to be priority number one,” adding that “a robust and detailed plan” would help to maintain the “highest level of safety with strict procedures in place”.
The publication of the revised calendar comes after F1 bosses finalised agreements with the six circuits that will host events. There had been doubts over the two races at Silverstone, due to the UK government’s incoming 14-day quarantine for all arrivals from overseas, but international sports teams are set to be given exemptions if they follow key guidelines.
Notably, the calendar also confirms the names of the extra grands prix that will be held at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone. Following the British Grand Prix, the second race at the Northamptonshire track will be called the Formula 1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. Silverstone hosted the first-ever F1 championship event in May 1950.
The second race at the Red Bull Ring will be the inaugural Steiermark Grand Prix, taking the German name for the Styria region of Austria in which the circuit is located.
All eight events will also host rounds of the Formula 2 and Formula 3 championships.
Revised 2020 F1 calendar opening events
3-5 July, Austrian Grand Prix (Red Bull Ring)
10-12 July, Steiermark Grand Prix (Red Bull Ring)
17-19 July, Hungarian Grand Prix (Hungaroring)
31 July-2 August, British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
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Anyone can run and kick a football...
...doing so at a sustained high level for 90 minutes is the hard part. Likewise anyone can be made to drive a car but doing so at an average speed of 150mph, with high g cornering and braking, as the characteristics of the car change, for 90 minutes, is not quite for everyone.
I've competed in 12 full distance triathlons in the last five years - that's a marathon after a 112mile bike ride and a 2.4 mile swim - among others at other distances, but I still manage to like both motor racing and football and never feel the need to disparage a sport that I don't enjoy. It seems like such a waste of energy, and just a bit weird. Unless it's just for wind up purposes, in which case, sad, just sad.
On the subject of the article, it's a nice touch to give the second GPs in Austria and Britain their own title and identity.
The Colonel wrote:
That's extremely impressive. Nice one. You're WAY fitter and stronger than the vast majority of, if not all, people racing cars for a living.
This could be an interesting if short season of F1 motorsport
It will be great to see F1 a real proper sport back on the T.V again.
Yes some people might not like it been called tat but it is a sport like it or not. Its a proper sport too. Anyone can run afer and kick a ball or be a keeper not many on here do I would say that could drive a car especially an F1 car at 200 miles an hour never mind drive it in a GP F1 race. .
FastRenaultFan wrote:
Are you high?
Anybody can drive a car. It is literally one of the easiest things anybody will ever do. When was the last time you ran for 90 minutes? Not to mention the sheer strength required to play footy, ride a bike, run a marathon, sprint 100m in under 10s...
FFS!!!
It's more sport...
...than sweaty neandethals kicking or throwing stuff on grass.
TS7 wrote:
Yeah.... nah.