
Austria will open the 2020 Formula One season with back-to-back races on Sunday 5 and Sunday 12 July after it was delayed because of the coronavirus, Formula One announced on Tuesday.
The first eight races of the revamped calendar will take place in Europe over a 10-week period at six track locations.
After the two Austrian events, a third race will follow in Hungary on Sunday 19 July before two back-to-back races in Britain in early August, and others in Spain, Belgium and Italy.
All eight races will take place without spectators in attendance. Organizers say they will operate under the strongest safety procedures.
In a statement, Formula One said it expected to finalize the details of the wider calendar in the coming weeks; the plan is to run a total of 15-18 races before the season ends in December.
Delayed start: The 2020 season had been due to begin in Australia on Sunday 15 March, but the race was called off hours before the first practice session amid Covid-19 fears.
Motorsport’s governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), announced last Thursday that Formula One's 10 teams would be limited to a maximum of 80 people each at the races.