Updated: 2020 Formula 1 calendar – new ultra-fast layout to be used in Bahrain

Update: F1 to use super-fast outer Bahrain track

Updated 13:00 Friday 28^th August 2020. Formula 1 will use a high-speed outer track at the second race of the Bahrain double-header in December, the Sakhir Grand Prix. Using the phrase ‘high-speed’ sounds odd given that F1 tracks are pretty speedy anyway, but Bahrain’s 10-corner, 3.543km outer circuit will, F1 predicts, see race lap times under 60 seconds and qualifying times under 55 seconds, the quickest laps of the year by some margin. The last time an F1 lap was completed in under a minute was by Niki Lauda in 1974 at the French Grand Prix at Dijon-Prenois in his Ferrari 312B3-74, with a time of 58.79 seconds.

All in all there will be 87 laps to cover off the 305km minimum distance for a Grand Prix, meaning the most laps of any race on the 2020 calendar.

Ross Brawn, Formula 1 Management’s Managing Director of Motorsport, said: “We are excited to announce the outer circuit as the format for the Sakhir Grand Prix and want to thank our partners at the Bahrain International Circuit for their continued support.

“We assessed a number of options for the alternative circuit layout and concluded the outer circuit will provide the best alternative and will provide a new challenge for all the teams and entertain all our fans with high speeds and fast lap times.”

2020 Formula 1 calendar

Updated: Turkey, Bahrain double-header and Abu Dhabi finale join 2020 F1 calendar

Updated 12:30pm Tuesday 25^th August. The final four races of the 2020 F1 calendar have been confirmed today, with F1 returning to Turkey for the first time since 2011, a double-header in Bahrain and a finale in Abu Dhabi on 13^th December.

There’s been a lot of uncertainty this year, so to know exactly which circuits F1 will visit and when the season will end is good news for fans and teams alike. Following in the trend of other recent race reveals, this announcement includes a new track for F1 teams to get their heads around.

After Round 13 at Imola on 1^st November there will be a two-week break before the F1 circus arrives in Turkey for the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul Park on 15^th November. The last time F1 cars raced in Turkey was nine years ago, a race that was won by Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull RB7, followed by team-mate Mark Webber and the Ferrari 056 of Fernando Alonso. It was also a race in which the then record for the greatest number of pit stops in a single race was broken, with a total of 82.

After Turkey there’s a two-week break before the lights go out in Bahrain for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on 29^th November, followed by the Rolex Sakhir Grand Prix at the same track on 6^th December, with the season finale to be held, as usual, in Abu Dhabi on 13^th December. While Formula 1 Management was hopeful there would be an F1 race in China, that, it has been announced, still isn’t possible.

Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of Formula 1, said: “We are proud to announce that Turkey, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi will be part of our 2020 season.

“This year has presented Formula 1 and the world with an unprecedented challenge and we want to pay tribute to everyone across Formula 1, the FIA, the teams, and our partners who have made this possible.

“While we are all disappointed that we have not been able to return to some of our planned races this year we are confident our season has started well and will continue to deliver plenty of excitement with traditional, as well as new, races that will entertain all our fans.”

Update: Nürburgring, Portimao and Imola join the calendar

Updated 3:58pm Friday 24^th July. Formula 1 bosses have confirmed the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th races of the season, filling the calendar into November. The Nürburgring's GP loop will host the Eiffel Grand Prix on 11^th October, Portimao will host its first ever F1 race as the Portuguese Grand Prix returns for the firs time since 1996, and the iconic Imola circuit will return for the first time since 2006 as it hosts the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the third Grand Prix of 2020 to take place in Italy.

Imola's round will also see a new format for a Grand Prix weekend, with the whole even compressed into just two days. AS the Portuguese and Emilia Romagna Grands Prix will run back-to-back and are 1,500 miles apart, F1 has decided to compress the schedule at Imola to give the teams and extra day to make the journey. Details of how this new format will work are yet to be announced, but it is expected that there will be only one free practice session before qualifying. 

In the statement announcing the three new races, F1 confirmed that it expects to hold an extra five races, bringing the total to 18 in 2020, finishing in the Gulf. It also confirmed that there would be no race in Canada, the USA, Mexico or Brazil this year.

Update: Mugello and Sochi confirmed

Updated 11:55am 10^th July 2020. The stunning Mugello Circuit in Italy and the Sochi Autodrom in Russia have been confirmed as the two most recent additions to the 2020 F1 calendar, with the race at Mugello scheduled for Sunday 13^th September and the race in Sochi penned for Sunday 25^th September.

It will be the first time Mugello has hosted an Formula 1 race, having only been used by F1 teams for testing in the past. In MotoGP, however, it has proved a firm fan and rider favourite for a number of years, with fast, flowing corners and plenty of elevation changes. If you were hoping for a physically demanding track to join the schedule this year, Mugello is it, although as there is already an Italian Grand Prix at Monza the weekend before the round at Mugello will be known as the Tuscan Grand Prix. It will also be the 1,000^th F1 race entered by Ferrari, a happy coincidence given Ferrari owns the track.

There will be a two-week gap from the events in Italy for the teams to make their way to Sochi for the Russian Grand Prix, the tenth race of the 2020 F1 season with more expected to be added over the coming weeks.

“We had great start to our season in Austria last weekend and we are increasingly confident in our plans to race throughout the remainder of 2020,” said Chase Carey, Formula 1’s CEO.

“The Russian Grand Prix is a major moment in our season and we are looking forward to being back in Sochi in September. We are equally excited to see Formula 1 race for the first time at Mugello, an occasion that will mark Ferrari’s 1,000^th Grand Prix. Both races will be a huge boost for fans with more announcements on the next races in our calendar coming in the weeks ahead.”

Update: Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix cancelled

Updated 9:30am 12^th June 2020. F1 will not be visiting Azerbaijan, Singapore or Japan in 2020 it has been announced. A little over a week since F1 revealed the first eight races of the 2020 F1 season, series organisers have said: "As a result of the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19, we and our promoters in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan have taken the decision to cancel their races for the 2020 season.

"These decisions have been taken due to the different challenges our promoters face in those countries. In Singapore and Azerbaijan the long lead times required to construct street circuits made hosting the events during a period of uncertainty impossible and in Japan, ongoing travel restrictions also led to the decision not to proceed with the race."

There is some good news, however, as F1 has also said that significant progress has been made "with existing and new promoters on the revised calendar" and it has "been particularly encouraged by the interest that has been shown by new venues in hosting a Formula 1 race during the 2020 season". F1 is "confident of having between 15-18 races by the time the season concludes in Abu Dhabi in mid-December. A new calendar is expected to be published before the season begins in Austria".

Update: First eight races of 2020 F1 season confirmed

Updated 11:20am 2^nd June 2020. Formula 1 has confirmed the first eight races of the 2020 F1 season, after months of calendar changes amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, including two British Grands Prix. At the moment, all will be held behind closed doors.

The first F1 race of 2020 will be in Austria at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday 5^th July 2020. There will be another Austrian Grand Prix the following weekend, Sunday 12^th July. Sunday 19^th July sees F1 head to Hungary, specifically Budapest, before Formula 1 arrives at Silverstone for two races, the first on Sunday 2^nd August and the second on Sunday 9^th August. The Spanish GP will be held on Sunday 16^th August, the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday 30^th August, and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday 6^th September.

Other races will be added at a later date, according to Formula 1, and all eight races will be supported by Formula 2 and Formula 3.

In a statement, Formula 1 has said: "Due to the ongoing fluidity of the COVID-19 situation internationally, F1 will be finalising the details of the wider calendar and hope to publish that in the coming weeks with an expectation of having a total of 15-18 races before completing the season in December. F1 currently expect the opening races to be closed events but hope fans will be able to attend again when it is safe to do so."

Update: Dutch Grand Prix cancelled

Updated 1:30pm 28^th May 2020. The organisers of the revived Dutch Grand Prix at a newly-renovated Zandvoort have announced that the first Formula 1 race at the circuit for 35 years has been put back until 2021. Organising boss, and former F1 driver, Jan Lammers said that the team behind the event had assessed the idea of running behind closed doors, and instead decided to cancel the event and move on to 2021, with the support of Formula 1.

The change means that there are currently 18 Grands Prix still to be held in the season, but it is expected that a new calendar, featuring some back-to-back races at European circuits, will be announced in the next few weeks. Currently the Austrian Grand Prix date on July 5^th is still set to be the first round of the season, with F1 bosses discussing how to host as many races as possible in 2020.

Update: French Grand Prix cancelled

Updated 10:08am 27^th April 2020. Formula 1 has announced that the French Grand Prix is the latest event to be outright cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement came after the French government confirmed it would be extending lockdown measures for an additional month to combad the spread of Covid-19. This extension, to "mid-July" means the June 28^th event could not go ahead. Organisers confirmed in a statement on Monday morning that the French Grand Prix had been cancelled. It joins the Monaco and Australian GPS as only the third race to be outright cancelled due to the spread of the virus. 

"We regret to inform you that we take note of the impossibility to maintain the 2020 Grand Prix de France. We will have to wait until next year to live the #SummerRace, all together," the organisers said.

No update has been given on the Austrian Grand Prix, the next round on the calendar, currently due to take place on July 5^th.

Update: Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku postponed

Updated: 11:45am 23^rd March 2020. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, Formula 1 has announced. Scheduled for June 7t^h, Formula 1 will now look to find another date for later in the year. That brings the total number of races postponed to six, while the Australian and Monaco Grand Prix were cancelled outright. 

Formula 1's official statement reads: "Baku City Circuit (BCC) has today taken the decision to postpone the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2020 due to take place on June 5^th-7^th.

"The postponement was agreed upon after extensive discussions with Formula 1 as well as the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic. This comes as a direct result of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and has been based entirely on the expert guidance provided to us by the relevant authorities.

"In coming to this conclusion, BCC’s primary concern throughout has been the health and well-being of the Azerbaijani people as well as all visiting F1 fans, staff and championship participants.

"BCC shares its fans disappointment at not being able to experience the pinnacle of motorsport race through the streets of Baku this June. To that end, we will continue to work closely with Formula 1, the FIA and the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic to monitor the situation with a view to announcing a new race date later in the 2020 season."

Update: Dutch and Spanish Grand Prix postponed, Monaco cancelled

Updated 3:30pm 19^th March 2020. Formula 1 has announced that three more rounds of the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak: the Dutch and Spanish Grand Prix have been postponed, the Monaco Grand Prix has been cancelled. The first race of 2020, then, will be in Baku on June 7^th.

The official statement from Formula 1 reads: "Due to the ongoing and fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation globally, Formula 1, the FIA and the three promoters have taken these decisions in order to ensure the health and safety of the travelling staff, championship participants and fans, which remains our primary concern.

"Formula 1 and the FIA continue to work closely with affected promoters and local authorities to monitor the situation and take the appropriate amount of time to study the viability of potential alternative dates for each Grand Prix later in the year should the situation improve.

"Formula 1 and the FIA expect to begin the 2020 Championship season as soon as it’s safe to do so after May and will continue to regularly monitor the ongoing COVID-19 situation."

Update: Bahrain and Vietnamese Grand Prix postponed

Updated 1:30pm 13^th March 2020. Just hours after it was announced the Australian GP would be cancelled, Formula 1 has temporarily pulled the plug on the Bahrain and Vietnamese Grand Prix, too. Formula 1's statement reads: "Following the announcement of the Australian Grand Prix’s cancellation this week and the ongoing and fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation globally, Formula 1, the FIA and the promoters have taken these decisions in order to ensure the health and safety of the travelling staff, championship participants and fans, which remains our primary concern.

"Formula 1 and the FIA continue to work closely with the race promoters in Bahrain and Vietnam and the local health authorities to monitor the situation and take the appropriate amount of time to study the viability of potential alternative dates for each Grand Prix later in the year should the situation improve. As a result, Formula 1 and the FIA expect to begin the Championship in Europe at the end of May but given the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Europe in recent days, this will be regularly reviewed."

Update: Australian Grand Prix cancelled

Updated 9:00am 13^th March 2020. The 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has been cancelled following the growing threat of the coronavirus, and the news that a McLaren team member tested positive for COVID-19.

The official statement from Formula 1 reads: "All parties took into consideration the huge efforts of the AGPC, Motorsport Australia, staff and volunteers to stage the opening round of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship in Melbourne, however concluded that the safety of all members of the Formula 1 family and the wider community, as well as the fairness of the competition take priority."

Update: Chinese Grand Prix postponed

Updated 13^th February 2020. The Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled for the 17-19^th April at the Shanghai International Circuit, has been postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. There is a chance the race could be held at a later date in the year, but Formula 1, the race promoter, the FIA and various Chinese authorities need to be satisfied that the level of risk has dropped significantly for that to happen. And, of course, a suitable date would need to be found in what is already a very busy Formula 1 calendar.  

A Formula 1 Statement reads: "The Chinese Grand Prix has always been a very important part of the F1 calendar and the fans are always incredible. We all look forward to racing in China as soon as possible and wish everyone in the country the best during this difficult time."

When is the first Formula 1 race of 2020?

The first race of the 2020 F1 season will be held in Austria on Sunday 5^th July. The first race of 2020 was supposed to be the Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia, on the 15^th March 2020, however that has now been cancelled because of the coronavirus.

When is the last Formula 1 race of 2020?

The final race of 2020 is yet to be confirmed, as the original calendar has been changed thanks to the coronavirus. However, the final of the eight races so far confirmed for 2020 is the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday 6^th September. The original last race was supposed to be the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit, Abu Dhabi, on the 29^th November 2020.

When is the British Grand Prix?

There will be two British Grands Prix in 2020. Both will be held at Silverstone, the first on 2^nd August and the second on 9^th August 2020.

When is Formula 1 pre-season testing?

Pre-season testing is from the 19^th-21^st February and 26^th-28^th February 2020. Testing will be held at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, as it has been for the last few years.

What F1 teams are new in 2020?

AlphaTauri is the only ‘new’ team on the 2020 F1 grid, however it is simply a name change for the old ‘Toro Rosso’ team. 

When are the new 2020 Formula 1 cars being revealed?

New F1 car reveals start in February 2020. 

Who won the 2019 Formula 1 world championship?

In case you missed it, Lewis Hamilton clinched his sixth world title in 2019, triumphing over Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, not to mention four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) and young guns Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull). Only Michael Schumacher has more titles, having won his seventh in 2004. 

Are there any new Formula 1 drivers in 2020?

Yes, as Canadian rookie Nicholas Latifi graduates from Formula 2 to race for Williams in 2020. Esteban Ocon, who raced in Formula 1 from the middle of 2016 to the end of 2018, returns to the Formula 1 grid racing for Renault. 

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.