Red Bull ‘pulled out all the stops’ for Austria F1 season-opener

Red Bull “pulled out all the stops” to ensure the Austrian Grand Prix could go ahead and help Formula 1 get its 2020 season underway, says team boss Christian Horner.

On Tuesday morning F1 confirmed the heavily-delayed 2020 season will start with back-to-back rounds in Austria beginning on July 5, marking the first of a run of eight races in Europe.

Following weeks of discussions between F1, Red Bull Ring chiefs and local authorities, the Austrian government gave championship bosses the go-ahead for its plan to get the campaign off the ground with back-to-back races within a controlled ‘biosphere’ environment.

The Austrian Grand Prix and following ‘Steiermark GP’ on July 12 will take place behind closed doors, with a limited number of F1 personnel set to use charter flights and private transport to arrive at the venue, before following a number of strict safety measures.

Red Bull team principal Horner said there had been a “huge effort” from all parties involved to ensure the plan got signed off.

“Red Bull have pulled out all the stops to get the Austrian Grand Prix up and running, in order to support a safe start to the Formula 1 season,” Horner explained.

“It’s a fantastic venue and we are pleased to be starting our championship campaign at our home circuit. It has been a huge effort by all involved and the two events at the Red Bull Ring will be a blueprint for all other races to follow.

"There was obviously a huge amount of discussion behind the scenes with Liberty, the FIA and the local authorities to ensure that returning to racing is done responsibly and we all have our part to play in order to enforce the measures in place.

“With the first eight races of the calendar now confirmed we have some positive momentum. As a race team and racers, we are excited to get going again and put on a show for our fans.”

After the two rounds in Austria a third successive race in Hungary will take place on July 16, followed by a two-week break.

F1 will then head to Britain for two consecutive races at Silverstone - the British Grand Prix and ‘70th Anniversary Grand Prix - before further rounds in Spain, Belgium and Italy.