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F1 to cram 18 races into 6 months as more GPs are expected to be postponed or cancelled

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Image: TeamTalk
Image: TeamTalk

The Dutch Grand Prix will be the next race pulled from Formula 1's coronavirus-hit schedule, with the announcement expected early this week.

There were conflicting messages as to when the new season might start after the curtain-raiser in Australia was cancelled, with subsequent races in Bahrain, Vietnam and China postponed.

F1's governing body, the FIA, issued a statement to indicate the campaign could get under way at the beginning of May - in time for the race in Holland.

Moving Zandvoort's date

F1, however, said the end of May is now the target. And the PA news agency understands that the Dutch round, scheduled for May 3 will be postponed. Official confirmation is expected at this week.

It is hoped that the Zandvoort race, which returns to the calendar after an absence of 35 years, could be moved to August, with the sport's traditional summer break scrapped.

READ: Could mounting coronavirus fears mean the end of 2020 F1 season before it even began?

The Spanish Grand Prix, due to take place a week after the race in Holland on May 10 is also set to be called off. It is unclear whether it will be rescheduled.

The majority view of the sport's travelling circus is to delay the campaign until the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, pencilled in for June 7, at the earliest, with the possibility of as many as 18 races crammed into six months.

However, the situation remains fluid with huge uncertainty around the long-term impact of coronavirus.

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