Silverstone likely to host season-opening F1 races: Report

Photo: IANS.


The Silverstone circuit in the United Kingdom is likely to host season-opening two back-to-back Formula 1 races in the summer. The entire F1 season has been ravaged by coronavirus pandemic with races so far either being postponed or cancelled altogether.

According to a BBC Sport report, the 14-day compulsory quarantine rule in England is set to exempted for elite sports athletes, opening door for hosting F1 races in the country.

“We welcome the government’s efforts to ensure elite sport can continue to operate and their support for our return to racing,” a F1 spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report.

“We will maintain a close dialogue with them in the coming weeks as we prepare to start our season in the first week of July.”

Recently, Dutch Grand Prix became the latest race to be officially postponed till next year. The race was set to take place at reworked Zandvoort circuit after for the first time since 1985 but fans in the country will have to wait for another year to see action from close quarters.

“We were completely ready for this first race and we still are,” said former F1 driver and Dutch Grand Prix sports director Jan Lammers in a statement as per F1.com

“We and Formula 1 have investigated the potential to hold a rescheduled race this year without spectators, but we would like to celebrate this moment, the return of Formula 1 in Zandvoort, together with our racing fans in the Netherlands. We ask everyone to be patient. I had to look forward to it for 35 years, so I can wait another year.”