The last time it was race week in Formula 1, the 2020 season ended up being indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly four months later, let’s try this again.
The 10 teams and 20 drivers of Formula 1 were preparing themselves for the first free practice session of the 2020 season at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit for the Australian Grand Prix back on Friday, March 13 when everything went down the tubes.
It was announced that a McLaren team member had tested positive for COVID-19 as the coronavirus pandemic begun to heat up around the globe. McLaren proceeded to withdraw their two drivers, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris, from the event.
After that, the useless and obsolete decision was made to hold the 2020 season opener without any fans in attendance.
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Why do I say it like that? Because in addition to Sainz and Norris already being out, several drivers, notably former world champions Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, knew what was really happening.
They wisely opted to leave the circuit.
Shortly thereafter, it was announced that there would be no Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, March 15. Like Vettel and Raikkonen, everyone else went home, save for those required to quarantine due to exposure to the infected McLaren team member, who did end up recovering well.
As the weeks progressed, more and more races were knocked off of the calendar, either via indefinite postponement or via complete cancellation. In total, the first 10 races of what was once a record-breaking 22-race calendar were abandoned.
The first race on the schedule that hadn’t been canceled was and still is the Austrian Grand Prix. What was once scheduled to mark the halfway point of the season at the Red Bull Ring is scheduled to finally get the 2020 campaign underway this Sunday, July 5.
So let’s try this again.
Following an unprecedented move to get as many races in this year as possible given the circumstances, the 10-turn, 2.683-mile (4.318-kilometer) road course in Spielberg, Styria, Austria is actually set to open up the season with two races, as there is slated to be another race contested there on Sunday, July 12. This race has been named as the Styrian Grand Prix.
Unfortunately, fans won’t be allowed to attend either one of these two races.
Last month, Formula 1 revealed a revised eight-race schedule that runs through Sunday, September 6. More of the updated 2020 schedule is set to be revealed in the near future, with several tracks still seeking replacement dates and other tracks which were not previously on the calendar vying to host races before the season presumably concludes in early or mid-December.
Formula 1 has maintained a target of running between 15 and 18 races this year, and given the fact that there are eight races on the schedule over the next 10 weekends, something that has never happened, that plan seems viable.
The Austrian Grand Prix is set to open up the 2020 Formula 1 season this Sunday, July 5, and it is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 9:10 a.m. ET.