» More Grands Prix axed from 2020 schedule

The 2020 Formula 1 World Championship will start no earlier than June after the FIA and Formula One Management announced that the Dutch, Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix will not go ahead as originally scheduled due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.

The Dutch and Spanish rounds can potentially be rescheduled into an altered calendar, along with the already-postponed Bahrain, Vietnamese and Chinese Grands Prix.

Like the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the iconic Monaco Grand Prix, however, is officially cancelled. This marks the first time since 1954 that the event will not take place.

“Due to the ongoing and fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation globally, the FIA, Formula 1 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,” a statement from the FIA explained.

“The FIA and Formula 1 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.

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

The FIA has brought forward the traditional summer shutdown in August to April in the hope of using that gap to slot in some races should the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic ease enough to allow for a return to racing.

The updated calendar now sees the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June as the new season-opener, with the Canadian Grand Prix following a week later.

2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championship Season Calendar
Date	Event	Location
15 MAR	Australian Grand Prix – CANCELLED	Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne
22 MAR	Bahrain Grand Prix – POSTPONED	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
05 APR	Vietnamese Grand Prix – POSTPONED	Hanoi Street Circuit, Hanoi
19 APR	Chinese Grand Prix – POSTPONED	Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai
03 MAY	Dutch Grand Prix – POSTPONED	Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort
10 MAY	Spanish Grand Prix – POSTPONED	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Montmeló
24 MAY	Monaco Grand Prix – CANCELLED	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo
07 JUN	Azerbaijan Grand Prix	Baku City Circuit, Baku
14 JUN	Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montréal
28 JUN	French Grand Prix	Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet
05 JUL	Austrian Grand Prix	Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
19 JUL	British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone
02 AUG	Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród
30 AUG	Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot
06 SEP	Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza
20 SEP	Singapore Grand Prix	Marina Bay Sreet Circuit, Singapore
27 SEP	Russian Grand Prix	Sochi Autodrom, Sochi
11 OCT	Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Couse, Suzuka
25 OCT	United States Grand Prix	Circuit of the Americas, Austin
01 NOV	Mexico City Grand Prix	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City
15 NOV	Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo
29 NOV	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi