F1 aims for Austria season start, multiple races at Silverstone

Formula 1 has discussed the possibility of getting the delayed 2020 season underway with the Austrian Grand Prix in July followed by a double-header event at Silverstone.

F1 officials and teams came together in a virtual meeting on Thursday to thrash out the latest plans to get the season started after the opening nine races were all postponed or cancelled as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report by the BBC, F1’s latest solution is to take advantage of the recent easing of lockdown restrictions in Austria by staging the July 5 race as planned but as a closed-door event without spectators.

After starting the season in Austria, F1 could then head to the UK for a run of at least two races at Silverstone, which is due to hold the British Grand Prix on July 19.

Race organisers have set an end-of-April deadline to make a final decision over the fate of this year’s British Grand Prix, however circuit bosses say they are willing to be flexible in terms of a date and over how many races it could host.

On Thursday, the UK government announced a three-week extension to its social distancing and lockdown measures, while Austria has become one of the first European countries to lift some of its restrictions. 

The French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard - scheduled for June 28 - is increasingly likely to become the 10th race to be affected by the global COVID-19 crisis after France extended its lockdown and banned mass gatherings until mid-July. 

That has shifted F1’s focus onto Austria becoming the potential season-opener at the Red Bull-owned Spielberg track.

Earlier this week, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed to Sky Sports that the notion was being discussed and personally backed the idea.

"The Red Bull Ring is a ready-made facility, it can be ready in a very short period of time to fit the FIA's criteria," Horner said.

"The prospect of being able to run a race behind closed doors is absolutely feasible.

"It's something that Austria [promoters] and Red Bull are looking at but of course they've got to work with the local authorities and governments. And so at the moment it's just under discussion.”

Proposals to reduce F1’s budget cap to €130 (£104.6m) by 2022 were also discussed in the meeting on Thursday as the sport continues to assess ways to lower costs.

While there was no firm agreement on the budget cap, it is understood that discussions were viewed as constructive by all involved.

An aerodynamic handicapping system that would allow teams who finished at the bottom of the championship the most aerodynamic research for the following year and the team who finished first doing the least was also considered by the teams.

McLaren boss Andreas Seidl warned the ongoing coronavirus crisis is the “final wake-up call” for F1 to act and trigger changes to make the sport more sustainable and allow teams to survive.

Action has already been taking in a bid to ease the financial strain placed on teams during the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with the introduction of major technical rules being pushed back by a year until 2022 and teams agreeing to race with the same cars in 2021.

All 10 F1 teams are also currently observing an extended mandatory shutdown period having agreed to bring forward the summer break from its traditional August slot to the spring amid the current hiatus.