F1 SEASON REBOOTS AS 8 RACES ANNOUNCED

Formula1 Management today announced the first 8 races of the revised 2020 F1 calendar.

The season reboot will commence on 3^rd July at The Red Bull Ring followed by a second race the following weekend at the Austrian circuit. A single round at The Hungaroring on the 19^th July, will be followed by another doubleheader of race weekends hosted at Silverstone. The full calendar of 8 races are as follows:

• Round 1 Formula 1 Rolex Grosser Preis von Osterreich, The Red Bull Ring, Austria – July 3-5
• Round 2 Formula 1 Pirelli Grosser Preis der Steiermark, The Red Bull Ring, Austria – July 10-12
• Round 3 Formula 1 Aramco Magyar Nagydij, The Hungaroring, Hungary – July 17-19
• Round 4 Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix, Silverstone, UK – July 31 – August 2
• Round 5 Emirates Formula 1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, Silverstone, UK – August 7-9
• Round 6 Formula 1 Aramco Gran Premio de EspanA, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain – August 14-16
• Round 7 Formula 1 Rolex Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium – August 28-30
• Round 8 Formula 1 Gran Premio Heineken d’Italia, Monza, Italy – September 4-6

As FOM learns more about the COVID-19 situation internationally it will release further dates when other races can take place. The hope is that a total of 15 to 18 races will be possible enabling the 2020 Formula 1 Drivers and Constructors Championship to deliver a level of credible and valid competition. All races will run behind closed doors unless new guidelines are presented by governments in the following months.

The positive news comes off the back of the recent announcement by the UK government that elite and professional sportsmen and women, and those associated with their participation, will be exempt from the planned enforcement of a 14-day quarantine rule for all incoming travellers to the UK. With seven of the ten teams based in the UK, had the exemption not been granted, the season as a whole would have been seriously compromised, let alone the possibility of holding a British Grand Prix.

With the exemption now in place the two British rounds of the 2020 season will take place culminating in an, albeit muted, celebration of 70 Years of Formula 1 racing at Silverstone. There is also fresh hope that with more races to be announced, it may be possible that we could see a spectator event at the end of the year in Bahrain or Abu Dhabi.

A FOM statement released today stated that the health and safety of all involved will continue to be priority number one, with Formula 1 and the FIA having a robust and detailed plan to ensure the races maintain the highest level of safety with strict procedures in place.

F1 CEO Chase Carey stated the revised calendar will allow racing to restart “in the safest possible way”. Carey added, “In the past weeks we have been working tirelessly with all our partners, the FIA and the teams to create a revised opening 2020 calendar allowing us to restart racing in the safest possible way.

“We are pleased to be able to set out our opening eight race calendar today and look forward to publishing our full calendar in the coming weeks.

“I want to thank every promoter and partner for their support and ongoing commitment to Formula 1.

“While we currently expect the season to commence without fans at our races we hope that over the coming months the situation will allow us to welcome them back once it is safe to do, but we know the return of Formula 1 will be a welcome boost to sports fans around the world.”

JDC is looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Formula1 in 2021 for what is expected to be a very exciting and closely run season. If you’d like to experience any of the races on the 2020 (tba) or 2021 calendar, then take a look at our Paddock Club™ hospitality packages or contact JDC Promotions and let us build a bespoke package for you and your guests.