F1 Talk: What the F1 2020 calendar could look like?

Earlier this week, Formula One CEO Chase Carey announced plans for a 15-18 race season that will start with a double-header in Austria and end with the Bahrain and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.

Silverstone has suggested they could run two races, whilst the seven postponed races will look to slot themselves in and amongst the rest of the scheduled calendar.

It must be noted that sporting events are not allowed in Belgium or the Netherlands until 1 September hence why I have not included them in my calendar below.

On the positive side, Spain have already said there are no restrictions on when the circuit can be used with circuit promotors of the Catalunya circuit open to hosting an F1 race in the summer.

F1 announced the following plans on Monday:

July/August: Europe

September: Eurasia and Asia

October/November: Asia and The Americas

December: Middle East

From this we can take, that Austria is set to take place on 5 July with a second race likely a week later. Silverstone hosting two races is still in the balance.

The end of the season could end on 13 December in Abu Dhabi with the Bahrain race on the 6 December – since Carey stated the season would finish with two races in the Gulf in December.

Lets look at the calendar with as much optimism as possible and see how F1 can get an 18 race season and how the schedule will shape up.

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You can see I have made Silverstone a double-header simply because F1 will want to get races under the belt (to make money, more races=more money).

If four grand prix can take place without any issues, we now look at the rest of the calendar with the majority of the races expected to be ran without spectators.

Hungary moves back from its original date and I have slotted the Spanish Grand Prix a week after.

With Italy improving dramatically, Monza will take place and interestingly I have not put the Belgian and Dutch Grand Prix in there due to the ban mentioned above.

There is more money from Asian races and grand prix outside Europe so I can see Belgium and Holland being left out from the calendar this year.

Azerbaijan will be the first non-European race and then the next three races will take place on their original dates; Singapore, Russia and Japan.

A triple-header starting with Japan sees the circus travel to China (which had a race at the Ningbo Circuit last weekend) and then the new grand prix in Vietnam.

November is all about the Americas as Carey states. USA is the worst-hit country so that race is in the balance. If NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA and the other US motor racing series can get their seasons underway, F1 should be able to have a race in Austin.

Mexico is a week later and then I have put Brazil or Canada. I think only one of these can happen simply because of the already packed schedule.

Brazil is set to be the next coronavirus hotspot and their President, Jair Bolsonaro has recently described the virus as a ‘little flu’ and continues to resist lockdown measures. We’ll see what happens in South America.

Finally, a December finish with the latest season finale to F1 date with Abu Dhabi on 13 December.

What do you think?