FORMULAONE

Formula One has confirmed plans for Silverstone to host two Grands Prix on August 2 and 9 as it unveiled an eightrace European calendar to get the 2020 season under way.

Racing will begin with a double-header at Austria’s Spielberg circuit on July 5 and 12 before the Hungarian

Grand Prix, scheduled for July 19. Teams will then head to Spain for a Grand Prix on August 16, before further races in Belgium (August 30) and Italy (September 6).

All races are expected to be staged behind closed doors with a minimum number of team personnel at the circuit.

A statement said: “Formula 1 has been working closely with all partners, authorities, the

FIA and the 10 teams to create a revised calendar that will allow a return to racing in a way that is safe for the communities we visit and the entire Formula 1 community.

“Due to the ongoing fluidity of the Covid-19 situation internationally, we will be finalising the details of the wider calendar and hope to publish that in the coming weeks, with an expectation of having a total of 15-18 races before we complete our season in December.

“We currently expect the opening races to be closed events, but hope fans will be able to join our events again when it is safe to do so.

“The health and safety of all involved will continue to be priority number one, with Formula 1 and the FIA having a robust and detailed plan to ensure our races maintain the highest level of safety with strict procedures in place.”

There had been question marks over Silverstone’s place on the calendar due to concerns over a quarantine programme due to be introduced by the UK Government, impacting travellers arriving into the UK from June 8.

However, elite sports events are set to be exempt.