F1: Revised 2020 calendar could still feature Baku

With a provisional plan to get Grand Prix racing going again from the start of July, there is still a possibility that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place in 2020.

Arif Rahimov, Executive Director of Baku City Circuit says that the race could still go ahead dependent on the scale of the COVID crisis in Azerbaijan, with a cut-off date of mid-October.

Mr Rahimov told motorsport week: “We are in close contact with the Government of Azerbaijan, F1 and other stakeholders.”

“At this moment in time, while we are keen to host a race in 2020, we obviously can’t commit to running the race later in the year until the situation with COVID-19 becomes clearer and the world returns back to close to how we remember it prior to the pandemic.

“We have agreed with F1 that the race should not be postponed until after mid-October.

“We truly care about our fans and value their experience so we would want them to be able to enjoy amazing weather in Baku during the race weekend.”

F1’s provisional schedule sees the season start at the Red Bull Ring in Austriaon July 3-5, followed by a double header at Silverstone, with other races in Europe to take place in August, Europe and Asia in September/October Americas in November with Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in December.

Baku City Circuit joined the F1 calendar in 2016, with four different winners in the first four iterations of the event.

Currently, F1 is working on a 15-race schedule as they attempt to salvage what they can of the current calendar.

Other circuits mentioned include the Hungaroring at Budapest, the potential for Hockenheim to return as well as Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

The Belgian GP at Spa Francorchamps is unlikely to take place even behind closed doors with gatherings of over 500 people banned in Belgium until August 31 and serious doubts have been raised over the Italian GP.

Ross Brawn, F1 Managing Director said: “We’re working our way through all the requirements to make sure we operate in a safe environment for everyone involved in the race.”

It has been revealed by The Observer that a mass testing programme will be required in order for F1 to start racing again with 1000 tests required for the entire paddock.

This will need to be privately-funded and done independent of the national testing programmes in individual countries.

But given the nature of F1’s capacity, this should be made possible for all the logistics personnel, media representatives as well as drivers and team members for F1 weekends to go ahead.

When the season does start, F1 will be isolated from the rest of the outside world in order to ensure that they do not catch coronavirus between events.

Despite the positive signals from both the teams, venues and F1, coreographing an F1 season of this length will prove to be a huge logistical challenge for all involved.

F1 is expected to publish its provisional calendar in the coming week as discussions between teams, venues and national governments continue as they try and get F1 back on the road.