F1: Potential 2020 Calendar
Speaking on the BBC during Free Practice 1 for the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, Andrew Benson spoke about Toto Wolff saying in the press conference that it is likely the US and Brazilian Grands Prix will not be going ahead, due to their serious COVID-19 outbreaks.
He then gave an insight into what the rest of the 2020 calendar could look like with his inside knowledge, with the calendar after the Italian Grand Prix on the 6th September potentially looking like this:
- Toscana Grand Prix, Mugello Circuit, Italy
- Portuguese Grand Prix, Algarve International Circuit, Portugal
- Russian Grand Prix, Sochi Autodrom, Russia
- Russian Grand Prix 2*, Sochi Autodrom, Russia
- Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai International Circuit, China
- Chinese Grand Prix 2*, Shanghai International Circuit, China
- Canadian Grand Prix*, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Canada
- Vietnamese Grand Prix*, Hanoi Street Circuit, Vietnam
- Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain
- Bahrain Grand Prix**, Bahrain International Circuit Outer Loop, Bahrain
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit, United Arab Emirates
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2*, Yas Marina Circuit, United Arab Emirates
*Double headers not official
**The name of the 2nd Bahrain race is yet to be announced.
Races at Mugello and the Algarve will be new additions to the F1 calendar, with neither circuit having hosted an F1 race in the past. Imola now looks not to be joining to 2020 calendar to create an ‘Italian Triple Header’, due to implications with the circuit’s pitlane layout.
The only ‘double header’ race officially confirmed are the 2 Bahrain Grands Prix, with the season confirmed to finish with 2 Bahrain races and Abu Dhabi. However, Abu Dhabi has been linked with a potential double header if required.
Further double header races to have been talked about include 2 races at Sochi and Shanghai. Most likely it would be one or the other, with China more likely to host 2 races.
Benson stressed that the Canadian and Vietnamese races are the most uncertain out of the lot, with both being street races and the Canadian race needing to be held ideally before October due to the strong winter season in the country.
None of these races are official as of yet, however are strongly rumoured to take place. The official order and race names are also yet to be announced, with the only races officially announced being Bahrain and Abu Dhabi to finish the season with a ‘Middle Eastern Triple Header’.
If this would to be the calendar announced for the rest of 2020, it would mean the Australian, Dutch, Monaco, Azerbaijan, French, Singapore, Japanese, US, Mexico City and Brazilian Grands Prix would not happen, with all but the US, Mexico City and Brazilian races officially cancelled so far.
