F1 expects summer start for 2020 season, aiming for 15 to 18 races

Formula 1 is aiming to start the 2020 Formula 1 season in the summer with a revised calendar consisting of 15 to 18 grands prix.

The opening eight races on the original schedule have been impacted by the coronavirus, with six events being postponed. Australia and Monaco have cancelled their events for the year.

MORE: Azerbaijan GP latest F1 event to be postponed due to coronavirus

The usual summer break has been pushed forward to run in March and April, consisting of three weeks in which no factory work will take place at any of the team's bases.

This will allow for a more condensed calendar to be formed later in the year, should the season get underway amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In a new statement, F1 CEO Chase Carey said: “Over the past week, Formula 1, the ten F1 teams and the FIA have come together and taken rapid, decisive action as part of our initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While at present no-one can be certain of exactly when the situation will improve, it will improve and when it does, we will be ready to go racing again. We are all committed to bringing our fans a 2020 Championship Season.

“We recognise there is significant potential for additional postponements in currently scheduled events, nonetheless we and our partners fully expect the season to start at some point this summer, with a revised calendar of between 15-18 races.

“As previously announced we will utilise the summer break being brought forward to March/April, to race during the normal summer break period and anticipate the season end date will extend beyond our original end date of 27-29th November, with the actual sequence and schedule dates for races differing significantly from our original 2020 calendar.

“It is not possible to provide a more specific calendar now due to the fluidity of the current situation but we expect to gain clearer insights to the situation in each of our host countries, as well as the issues related to travel to these countries, in the coming month.” 

Carey asserted that F1 “now intends to race through the period normally set aside for the summer break and fulfil lost events from the first part of this year.”

He added that the lengthy break between the end of the 2019 season and the start of 2020 means F1 can experiment with other aspects of the sport.

“This flexibility offers an opportunity to evolve the sport, experiment and try new things,” he said.

“That may include initiatives such as expanding our esports platform, developing more innovative content like Netflix's Drive to Survive, and other creative ways to drive ongoing value for the sport’s sponsor partners, broadcast partners, race promoters, teams and fans – the ecosystem of our fantastic sport.

“Between Formula 1, the teams and the FIA, working with our key stakeholders, we are planning and fully committed to returning to the track at the earliest opportunity to commence the 2020 season.

“We will continue to take advice from health officials and experts, as our first priority continues to be the safety and health of our fans, the communities we visit and those within the Formula 1 family.

“We’re confident we’ll all get through this and see better days, ahead, and, when we do, we will ensure that everyone invested in this sport at every level feels rewarded.”