Jun 21 , 2020
Coronavirus calendar: F1 to restart in July, Formula E in August
People might be staring at blank pages in their social diaries for now, but at least Formula 1 and Formula E are back soon.
Motorsport's largest circus (F1) is set to fire back into life on the 3rd July with the Austrian Grand Prix. But it's not all rosy - there have been at least seven cancellations, with the Azerbaijan, Singapore, and Japan races being the latest to be kiboshed.
Formula E has taken the brave step to conclude its championship with six races in nine days at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin from 5
Meanwhile, away from the glitz, glamour, and gluttony of the Formulas, grassroots motorsport is looking up in the UK. The BTCC is scheduled to host its first race on 1 August.
Can’t be bothered reading the whole article? Click the links below to see how different race series and events are dealing with the coronavirus:
At time of writing, Formula 1 bosses have just axed the Azerbaijan, Singaporean, and Japanese races. Notably, the Dutch and Canadian GPs are also missing from plans at the moment.
The season will now kick off in July 2020 with the Austrian GP on the 5th and 12th of July. The grand prix schedule now stretches into the winter months to make up for lost races.
Another big change is the prospect of back to back races. Both the Austrian and British GPs are pencilled in for back to back events.
The first eight races of the season are virtually concrete now. However, a host of new European venues are being considered for after this. Mugello, Imola, Portimao, and Hockenheim are the biggest names being mooted. Races in the second half of the season will 'hopefully' have spectators, according to F1 boss Ross Brawn.
Here's what the Formula 1 calendar provisionally looks like:
Australian GP 13-15 March (cancelled)
Dutch GP 1-3 May (cancelled)
Monaco GP 21-24 May (cancelled)
Canadian GP 12-14 June (postponed new date unknown)
France GP 26-28 June (cancelled)
Austrian GP 3-5 July and 10-12 July
Hungarian GP 17-19 July
Great Britain GP 31 July-2 August and 7-9 August
Spanish GP 14-16 August
Belgian GP 28-30 August
Italian GP 4-6 September
Singaporean GP 18-20 September (cancelled)
Azerbaijan GP 18-20 September (cancelled)
Russian GP 25-27 September
Chinese GP 2-4 October
Japanese GP 9-11 October (cancelled)
United States GP 23-25 October
Mexican GP 30 October - 1 November
Brazilian GP 6-8 November
Vietnamese GP 20-22 November
Bahrain 27-29 November or 4-6 December
Abu Dhabi GP 11-13 December