When is the first F1 race of the 2020 season?

With the cancellation a few weeks ago of the Chinese GP, the cancellation 1h30 before the first free practice sessions of the Australian GP, and the postponement of the Bahrain and Vietnam Grand Prix, the championship is likely to be heavily disrupted.

As the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the FIA, Formula 1, and the teams do not want to take any risks concerning the safety of staff and fans.

European races in danger

The pandemic having not yet reached its peak in Europe, the situation is expected to worsen in the coming weeks on the old continent. With governments taking drastic measures to contain the virus, many sporting and cultural events are being canceled or postponed. Formula 1 is not expected to be exempt.

Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Dutch, Spanish, and Monaco Grand Prix will take place on the originally scheduled dates in the Formula 1 calendar.

When is the first F1 race of the season /f1/actualite/23972-officiel-les-grands-prix-de-bahrein-et-du-vietnam-reportes.html?

This is THE question currently being asked by the governing bodies of Formula 1, the teams, the media, and the fans. In all likelihood, the Grand Prix most likely to take place at the moment would be the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from June 5 to 7.

What to do with the postponed Grand Prix races?

Several options are being considered. Helmut Marko is talking about removing the summer break and racing during those 3 weeks. Another idea would be to hold the postponed Grand Prix at the end of the year, or even at the beginning of 2021. The new 2021 regulations would therefore be postponed to 2022.

Permanent circuits could be postponed to later dates. However, non-permanent circuits like Australia or Monaco are difficult to reschedule later in the season due to the construction time of these urban tracks.