Historic start to the season: Spielberg replaces Bern
EVEN LATER THAN IN 1951 The FIA has published the new calendar for the first races of the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship. The GP season has never started as late as at the beginning of July in Austria. Switzerland previously held this "record". After weeks of speculation about the content of the GP calendar, which has been revised due to the coronavirus crisis, the FIA let the cat [...]
After weeks of speculation about the content of the revised GP calendar due to the coronavirus crisis, the International Automobile Federation let the cat out of the bag this week. For the first time, a Formula 1 season will open in Austria and there will be two World Championship races in a row on the same race track.
However, like the two races in Silverstone later on, they will be named differently. And all of the eight Grands Prix that have been fixed so far will be held as TV-only sport and will be closed to the public.
Austria and Styria
The "Formula 1 Rolex Grand Prix of Austria" opens the 2020 season on July 5 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. Seven days later, the "Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Styria" starts on the hill-and-valley circuit. The best advertising for this Austrian province and for Red Bull, who make this historic event possible.
Three races in a row
From Styria, the entire entourage will then cross the border to the Hungaroring, where the Hungarian Grand Prix will take place just outside the capital Budapest. For the first time ever, there will be a third Formula 1 race without a free weekend in between.
Anniversary race at Silverstone
After a race-free weekend, the second "Triple Header" will take place at the beginning of August. First on the agenda is the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, followed by the Formula 1 70TH Anniversary Grand Prix - an anniversary race to commemorate the first World Championship race 70 years ago at Silverstone. From England, all the teams then travel straight to Barcelona to make up for the Spanish GP, which was postponed from May 10 to August 16.
Belgium and Italy as planned
As planned in the original pre-coronavirus world championship calendar, the Belgian GP will take place in Spa at the end of August and the Italian GP in Monza a week later. This will complete Formula 1's tight European season in just two months before the distant races follow.
But a GP in Hockenheim?
If this is not possible by then, other races in Europe are conceivable, for example in Hockenheim. The operators of the Badisches Motodrom would be prepared to host the German GP, which was not originally planned - but without having to pay the horrendous entry fee.
Final race in the United Arab Emirates
How many and where further Formula 1 races will take place therefore depends on various factors. In any case, the 2020 season will be concluded with the Bahrain GP on December 6 and the Abu Dhabi GP on December 13.
Late as never before
Historically speaking, the official start to the season has never been so late in 70 years of Formula 1, if you ignore the GP circus's futile trip to Australia in March. But it also ended much later.
First season starts in May
In the first three years of the Formula 1 World Championship, points were only scored from May onwards. Until then, teams and drivers kept themselves in shape with other races.
GP Switzerland 1951 only on May 27...
To this day, the Swiss Grand Prix in Bern-Bremgarten on May 27, 1951 was the "record holder" in this respect. However, there were only seven Grands Prix plus the Indy 500 on the calendar.
...and GP South Africa on New Year's Day
From 1953 to 1958, the World Championship kicked off in Argentina in mid-January. In 1965 and 1968, the season kicked off on January 1st in South Africa (Kyalami).
End of season in December
Since 2011, Australia has always started in March and Abu Dhabi has ended towards the end of November. In 1959, the US GP in Sebring ended on December 12, and in 1962, the South African GP in East London was held on December 29.
Record number of races
In terms of the tight schedule - there is talk of 15 to 18 in just five months - the 2020 Formula 1 season will definitely go down in history. Whether this will change the dominance of Mercedes remains to be seen.
