F1 confirms plans to start 2020 season in July

Formula 1 has announced its plans to begin the 2020 Formula 1 season in July at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

On Monday morning, it was confirmed that the French Grand Prix had been called off due to a ban on mass events until mid-July.

That pushes Austria to the top of the schedule for the opening race of the year, with Red Bull staff recently affirming that a race could take place in the European country this year.

In July and August, F1 targets to race all of the European events minus Monaco and France, who have already cancelled its 2020 events.

In September and October, the Eurasia and Aisa rounds would take place following by the Americas events that would conclude in October.

Finally, F1 would travel to the middle-east to conclude the season in November, with Abu Dhabi being targeted once more as the final event of the year.

F1 CEO Chase Carey stated: “We will publish our finalised calendar as soon as we possibly can.”

The opening races of the year are expected to be held with no fans in attendance, with Silverstone already confirming that any race at its venue will take place behind closed doors.

Carey continued: “The health and safety of all involved will continue to be priority one and we will only go forward if we are confident we have reliable procedures to address both risks and possible issues.

“The FIA, teams, promoters, and other key partners have been working with us throughout these steps and we want to thank them for all their support and efforts during this incredibly challenging time.

“We also want to recognise the fact that the teams have been supporting us at the same time that they have been focusing enormous and heroic efforts to build ventilators to help those infected by COVID-19.

“While we have been moving forward with our 2020 plans, we have also been working hard with the FIA and the teams to strengthen the long term future of Formula 1 through an array of new technical, sporting, and financial regulations that will improve the competition and action on the track and make it a healthier business for all involved, particularly as we engage the issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“All of our plans are obviously subject to change as we still have many issues to address and all of us are subject to the unknowns of the virus.

“We all want the world to return to the one we know and cherish, yet we recognise it must be done in the right and safest way.

“We look forward to doing our part by enabling our fans to once again safely share the excitement of Formula 1 with family, friends, and the broader community.”