F1 confirm revised 2020 calendar including British…

F1 confirm revised 2020 calendar including British double-header at Silverstone

Formula One has announced that Austria will kick off the 2020 season next month with eight races planned in 10 weeks - including back-to-back showdowns at Silverstone.

F1 bosses have been desperate to salvage a season which has been ravaged by the coronavirus crisis, and a bumper schedule in Europe has now been ratified.

There were doubts over a British Grand Prix taking place this summer after the Government last month enforced a 14-day quarantine for any overseas arrivals touching down in the UK.

But Boris Johnson stepped in to give F1 - and other elite sports - an exemption to bypass that self-isolation period as the country continues its bid to ease lockdown restrictions.

The green light from the Prime Minister has allowed F1 to formally confirm the first eight races of their 2020 calendar, which will all take place in Europe and behind-closed-doors.

Their ambitious framework includes two triple headers - something the sport has done only once before.

The British Grand Prix will go ahead this year as the F1 calendar has been confirmed (REUTERS)

The season - which was due to start back in March in Australia - will get underway with two successive races in Austria on July 5 and July 12, before travelling on to Hungary a week later.

There will be a one-week break before the first of the two races takes place at Silverstone, which will be raced as the British Grand Prix.

Silverstone this year marked the 70th anniversary of hosting the first world championship race and has held a grand prix every year since F1 began in 1950.

And to pay tribute to that landmark, the second race at the home of the British GP will be called the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.

Six-time world champ Lewis Hamilton will bid to defend his F1 crown (PA)

Bringing a close to the second 2020 triple header will be the Spanish Grand Prix, while two weeks later Lewis Hamilton and Co will jet off to Belgium before finishing the European leg in Italy.

F1's CEO Chase Carey said: “In the past weeks we have been working tirelessly with all our partners, the FIA and the teams to create a revised opening 2020 calendar allowing us to restart racing in the safest possible way.

"We are pleased to be able to set out our opening eight race calendar and look forward to publishing our full calendar in the coming weeks.

"While we currently expect the season to commence without fans at our races we hope that over the coming months the situation will allow us to welcome them back once it is safe to do, but we know the return of Formula 1 will be a welcome boost to sports fans around the world.”

Discussions regarding the long-haul Grands Prix, known as the flyaway races, remain ongoing as F1 bosses fight to salvage the season.

It is understood they are attempting to hold 16 races this season.