Revised 2020 Formula 1 calendar packs a pleasant surprise

The 2020 Formula 1 season seems to be best described as a roller-coaster. It first started with the curtain raiser Australian GP cancelled (due to a McLaren F1 team member testing positive for Covid-19) a scant few hours before the race was set to go underway, followed by the entire season being cancelled. Then, after some dabbling in the virtual field, the situation started looking up. Soon, a new season calendar was announced and it seemed like almost a moment later Valtteri Bottas was charging past the chequered flag at the Red Bull Ring. And now, the 2020 Formula 1 calendar seems like a gift that keeps on giving, with the addition of two more races, one of which will be held at the Mugello circuit in Italy, the first time it will host a Grand Prix, while the other will be held at the Sochi Autodrom, Russia.

The addition of Mugello and Sochi races, which will take place on September 11-13 and 25-27 respectively, brings the current number of confirmed races in 2020 to ten. Moreover, this is not the end, as there are rumours of even more races to be announced in the near future.

Speaking on the revisions to the current F1 season, Chase Carey, chairman and CEO, Formula 1, said, “We had great start to our season in Austria last weekend and are increasingly confident in our plans to race throughout the remainder of 2020. The Russian Grand Prix is a major moment in our season and we are looking forward to being back in Sochi in September. We are equally excited to see Formula 1 race for the first time at Mugello. Both races will be a huge boost for fans with more announcements on the next races in our calendar coming in the weeks ahead.”

The revised 2020 Formula 1 calendar is as follows:

More about the Mugello circuit

A regular on the MotoGP calendar, Mugello (which is owned by Ferrari) will be the fourth Italian circuit, after Monza, Imola, and the Pescara road course (used just once in 1957) to host a world championship race. The circuit’s first F1 event, set for September 11-13, will be held the weekend after the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. And, it will also mark the Scuderia’s thousandth race in the world championship.

F1 cars have been tested at the circuit many times, including by Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc who did so prior to the season opener, and were raving about the circuit's fast and flowing nature.

“We want to thank the promoters, national authorities, the teams and the FIA for their hard work and support in making these Grands Prix possible,” said Formula 1 in a statement, “and know our fans will be delighted to see Russia host its seventh race at the Sochi Autodrom and see Formula 1 cars race for the first time at the exciting Mugello circuit in Italy.”