The 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for
Formula One cars
A Formula One car or F1 car is a single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel formula racing car used to compete in Formula One racing events. It has substantial front and rear wings, large wheels, and a turbocharged engine positioned behind the dr ...
which was the 71st running of the
Formula One World Championship. It marked the 70th anniversary of the
first Formula One World Drivers' Championship. The championship was recognised by the governing body of international
motorsport
Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of Car, automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and Aircraft, powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific term ...
, the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; ) is an international organisation with two primary functions surrounding use of the automobile. Its mobility division advocacy, advocates the interests of motoring organisations, the automot ...
(FIA), as the highest class of competition for
open-wheel racing cars. Drivers and teams competed for the titles of
World Drivers' Champion and
World Constructors' Champion, respectively.
The championship was originally due to start in March,
but the start was postponed until July in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The season was originally due to be contested over a record of 22
Grands Prix, but as some races were cancelled and new races were added to replace them, a total of 17 races were run.
The season started in July with the and ended in December with the .
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first eight rounds of the championship were run
behind closed doors, with the rest of the races being run at a reduced capacity or also behind closed doors due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...
and
Mercedes entered the season as the reigning World Drivers' and World Constructors' champions, respectively, after they both won their sixth championship in 2019. At the
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Mercedes secured their seventh consecutive
Constructors' Championship making them the only team to win seven consecutive championships, breaking
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
's record from to . Mercedes also maintained the distinction of being the only team to win the championship since the 2014
turbo-hybrid engine regulation changes were enacted. Hamilton equalled
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...
's record of seven World
Drivers' Championships at the
Turkish Grand Prix
The Turkish Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor race held at Istanbul Park, designed by Hermann Tilke. The race was part of the Formula One World Championship between and , and to , the latter two being due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fel ...
and broke Schumacher's previous record of 91 career wins at the .
Sebastian Vettel endured a difficult season with
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
, finishing thirteenth in the standings and amassing only 33 points with one podium finish (third in Turkey). This would also be his final season with Ferrari, as he would go on to join
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC () is a British manufacturer of Luxury car, luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Headed from 1947 by David Brown (entrepreneur ...
—the rebrand of
Racing Point—for the 2021 season, where he would spend two seasons before retiring from F1 at the end of
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
season.
Entries
Each team was required to enter at least two drivers, one for each of the two mandatory cars. All teams competed with tyres supplied by
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is an Italian multinational tyre manufacturer based in the city of Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Borsa Italiana since 1922, is the 5th-largest tyre manufacturer, and is focused on the consumer pro ...
.
Free practice drivers
Across the season, four drivers drove as a test or third driver in free practice sessions.
Jack Aitken and
Roy Nissany both drove for
Williams at one and three Grands Prix, respectively,
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing driver, racing and rally driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for AF Corse. Kubica competed in Formula One between and , and the World Rally Championship ...
drove for
Alfa Romeo Racing
Italian motor manufacturer Alfa Romeo has participated multiple times in Formula One. The brand has competed in motor racing as both a constructor and engine supplier sporadically between and , and later as a commercial partner between and . ...
at five Grands Prix and
Mick Schumacher drove for
Haas at one Grand Prix.
Schumacher and
Callum Ilott were entered to appear in the first practice session for the , driving for Alfa Romeo Racing and Haas, respectively,
but the session was cancelled due to bad weather conditions.
Team changes
Red Bull GmbH
Red Bull GmbH () is an Austrian multinational private conglomerate company that created the Red Bull range of energy drinks. It is also known for its sponsorship, wide range of sporting events and Works team, teams. The headquarters of Red Bull ...
, the parent company of
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing, currently competing as Oracle Red Bull Racing and also known simply as Red Bull or RBR, is a Formula One racing team, List of Formula One constructors#Team's nationality, competing under an Austrian racing licence and based in ...
and
Scuderia Toro Rosso, renamed Toro Rosso as "
Scuderia AlphaTauri". The team uses the constructor name "AlphaTauri".
The name is derived from Red Bull's
AlphaTauri fashion brand.
Driver changes
After a year's absence,
Esteban Ocon
Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane (; born 17 September 1996) is a French racing driver who competes in Formula One for Haas F1 Team, Haas. Ocon won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine F1 Team, Alpine.
Born and raised in Normandy to ...
returned to racing in Formula One after signing a contract with
Renault
Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...
, replacing
Nico Hülkenberg
Nicolas Hülkenberg (, born 19 August 1987) is a German racing driver who competes in Formula One for Sauber. In endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing, Hülkenberg won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, 2015 with Por ...
.
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing driver, racing and rally driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for AF Corse. Kubica competed in Formula One between and , and the World Rally Championship ...
left
Williams at the end of the 2019 championship and joined
Alfa Romeo Racing
Italian motor manufacturer Alfa Romeo has participated multiple times in Formula One. The brand has competed in motor racing as both a constructor and engine supplier sporadically between and , and later as a commercial partner between and . ...
as a reserve driver.
Nicholas Latifi
Nicholas Daniel Latifi (; born 29 June 1995) is a Canadian former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to .
Born in Montreal and raised in Toronto, Latifi is the son of Iranian Canadians, Iranian-Canadian billionaire businessman ...
, the
2019 Formula 2 Championship
The 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship was the fifty-third season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also third season under the moniker of FIA Formula 2 Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula 2 cars that is ...
runner-up, replaced Kubica at Williams.
Mid-season changes
A day before the
British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event organised in the United Kingdom by Motorsport UK. First held by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in 1926 British Grand Prix, 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 ...
weekend,
Racing Point driver
Sergio Pérez
Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza (; born 26 January 1990) is a Mexican racing driver, who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Pérez was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Red Bull, and won Gr ...
tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
and was ruled out of the race weekend. After seeking clarification from
Public Health England
Public Health England (PHE) was an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care in England which began operating on 1 April 2013 to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Its formation came as a ...
, Racing Point stated that they intended to let Pérez race in the
70th Anniversary Grand Prix pending a negative coronavirus test. This re-test came back positive and so Pérez was also unable to take part in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. He was replaced for both races by
Nico Hülkenberg
Nicolas Hülkenberg (, born 19 August 1987) is a German racing driver who competes in Formula One for Sauber. In endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing, Hülkenberg won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, 2015 with Por ...
, who had raced for the team's predecessor
Force India in and from to , and last raced in Formula One at the
2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Pérez had a negative coronavirus test result the week preceding the
Spanish Grand Prix
The Spanish Grand Prix (, ) is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating its centenary in 2013. The race had modest beginnings ...
weekend and he competed in the Grand Prix having been cleared by the
FIA to return. Pérez's Racing Point teammate
Lance Stroll felt ill prior to the
Eifel Grand Prix and tested positive for the coronavirus on the day of the race. Hülkenberg again raced for the team.
After
Romain Grosjean suffered burns to his hands following a crash at the
Bahrain Grand Prix
The Bahrain Grand Prix (), officially known as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, is a Formula One motor racing event in Bahrain. The first race took place at the Bahrain International Circuit on 4 April 2004. It made hist ...
,
Haas promoted test driver
Pietro Fittipaldi to make his debut at the
Sakhir Grand Prix. Grosjean also missed the
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix because of his recovery after the crash in
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
; Fittipaldi raced again for the team.
Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...
tested positive for the coronavirus prior to the
Sakhir Grand Prix and was forced to sit out. He was replaced by
George Russell, with
Jack Aitken replacing Russell at
Williams. Hamilton returned to Mercedes for the season-ending
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after testing negative for the coronavirus, with Russell returning to Williams.
Calendar
Twenty-two Grands Prix were originally scheduled for the 2020 World Championship.
However, the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
resulted in numerous race cancellations and postponements. A rescheduled calendar consisted of seventeen Grands Prix, nine from the original 2020 calendar and eight other Grands Prix, while the other thirteen original 2020 races were cancelled. This also meant that the season started with two races in
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, and later on in the season there were also two races at
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 British Grand ...
along with two races at
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit () is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2 Championship, FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Formula One season, 2004 Gr ...
. Each race is the minimum number of laps that exceeds a total distance of . Under the sporting regulations, a minimum of eight races must take place for the season to be considered a championship.
As a result of the cancellations and changes no round was held North America for the first time since
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
.
Cancelled Grands Prix
The following rounds were included on the original calendar published by the
World Motor Sport Council but were cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Changes from the 2019 calendar to the original 2020 calendar
After purchasing the commercial rights to the sport from
CVC Capital Partners
CVC Capital Partners plc is a Jersey-based private equity and investment advisory firm with approximately €186 billion of assets under management and approximately €157 billion in secured commitments since inception across American, European, ...
in January 2017,
Liberty Media
Liberty Media Corporation (commonly referred to as Liberty Media or just Liberty) is an American mass media company founded by John C. Malone in 1991. The company has three divisions, reflecting its ownership stakes in the Formula One Group, S ...
announced plans to expand the Formula One calendar using a concept they termed "destination races" and modelled on the
Singapore Grand Prix. Under the "destination races" model, Grands Prix would be established in or near key tourist destinations and integrate racing, entertainment and social functions. Several countries and venues announced plans to bid for a Grand Prix, with two bids being successful:
* The
Vietnamese Grand Prix
The Vietnamese Grand Prix () was a proposed Formula One Grand Prix that was first due to take place in April 2020. The race was initially postponed and later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was postponed indefinitely. The Grand Prix w ...
was announced as the first new race created under Liberty's management.
The race was given a provisional date of April 2020 and was planned to take place in the capital
Hanoi
Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
on the
Hanoi Circuit,
but was later cancelled.
* The
Dutch Grand Prix
The Dutch Grand Prix () is an annual Formula One World Championship auto racing event, held at Circuit Zandvoort, North Holland, the Netherlands, from 1950 through 1985, and after a 35 year hiatus, from 2021 to 2026.
It has been a part of the ...
was due to be revived,
with the race scheduled to take place at the
Circuit Zandvoort
Circuit Zandvoort (), known for sponsorship reasons as CM.com Circuit Zandvoort, previously known as Circuit Park Zandvoort until 2017, is a motorsport race track located in the dunes north of Zandvoort, the Netherlands, near the North Sea coas ...
. The 2020 race would have marked the first time the Dutch Grand Prix has been run since . However, the race was later cancelled.
Liberty Media initially expected that the 2020 calendar would consist of twenty-one Grands Prix and that any new races would come at the expense of existing events, but later negotiated an agreement with the teams to allow up to twenty-two Grands Prix. Several further changes were made between the 2019 and 2020 calendars, with the
German Grand Prix
The German Grand Prix () was a motor race that took place most years since 1926, with 75 races having been held. The race has been held at only three venues throughout its history: the Nürburgring in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hockenheimring in B ...
discontinued and the
Mexican Grand Prix planned to be rebranded as the
Mexico City Grand Prix before it was cancelled.
Regulation changes
Sporting regulations
Teams were allowed to use an additional
MGU-K compared to 2019 to compensate for the increased demands of contesting the originally planned twenty-two races.
Drivers who participated in free practice sessions were eligible for additional
FIA Super Licence points. Any driver who completed a minimum during a free practice session received an additional Super Licence point on the condition that they do not commit a driving infraction. Drivers could only accrue ten Super Licence points across a three-season period from free practice sessions. The rules around helmet designs were relaxed with drivers allowed to change their design as many times as they wanted between races, having previously been restricted to a base design and one permitted major design change (excluding minor alterations) since 2015.
As a result of what was then planned to be an expanded calendar, the two pre-season tests which took place at
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya () is a motorsport race track in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit. The track has stands ...
were reduced in length from four days to three days each, whilst the two in-season tests that took place at
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit () is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2 Championship, FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Formula One season, 2004 Gr ...
and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2019 were discontinued. Teams were no longer allowed to hide their cars during testing. The amount of time in which car mechanics were prohibited from working on the car was extended from eight to nine hours.
The rules surrounding
jump starts and the
weighbridge
A truck scale (US), weighbridge (non-US) or railroad scale is a large set of Weighing scale, scales, usually mounted permanently on a concrete foundation, that is used to weigh entire Railroad car#Freight cars, rail or road vehicles and their co ...
were relaxed with the
race stewards able to hand out less severe punishments for missing the weighbridge and jump starts.
Technical regulations
In order to reduce the risk of punctures, the last of the
front wing could no longer contain any metal. Brake ducts could no longer be outsourced and must be made and designed by the team. The amount of fuel that could be outside of the fuel tank was reduced from to . A decrease in electronic driver aids meant that drivers were responsible for managing more of the car's torque during race starts.
Mid-season changes
From the
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix () is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix motor racing, motor racing Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921 ...
, drivers were only allowed to run one engine mode from the start of qualifying to the end of the race. However, drivers were still allowed to use electrical power for the
powertrain
In a motor vehicle, the powertrain comprises the main components that generate engine power, power and deliver that power to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the internal combustion engine, engine, transmission (mechanics), trans ...
throughout the race weekend.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Initial response
The season was heavily disrupted by the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, with an announcement prior to the start of the championship that the
Chinese Grand Prix would be postponed due to the
early COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Italian-based teams
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
and
AlphaTauri expressed concern about the spread of the disease and its effect on the championship. As Italy suffered
one of the worst outbreaks of the virus, both teams were concerned about the ability of their staff to leave the quarantine zone established in northern Italy and to enter host nations. Pre-season testing in Barcelona proceeded as planned, with all teams and drivers completing the six days of testing.
Ross Brawn, the managing director of the sport, announced that Grands Prix would not go ahead if a team were blocked from entering a host nation, but that events could go ahead if a team voluntarily chose not to enter a host nation. In early March, organisers of the
Bahrain Grand Prix
The Bahrain Grand Prix (), officially known as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, is a Formula One motor racing event in Bahrain. The first race took place at the Bahrain International Circuit on 4 April 2004. It made hist ...
stated that the event would be "participants-only" and that no spectators would be allowed.
Race postponements and cancellations
The season-opening
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is an annual Formula One motor racing event, taking place in Melbourne, Victoria. The event is contracted to be held at least until 2035. One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, the Gran ...
was expected to go ahead and all teams and drivers arrived at the venue as planned. Three days before the race was due to take place, McLaren announced their withdrawal from the event after a team member tested positive for the virus. This led to the Grand Prix being cancelled altogether the following morning.
Later that day, it was announced that the Bahrain Grand Prix would be postponed rather than closed to spectators, as would the inaugural Vietnamese Grand Prix.
Formula One and the
FIA released a joint statement saying that they "expect to begin the Championship in Europe at the end of May" but that this timeline "will be regularly reviewed". On 19 March, the FIA announced that the
Dutch,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
and
Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
Grands Prix had all been postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic. In the statement, the FIA said they now expect to begin the season "as soon as it is safe to do so after May" and that the situation would continue to be monitored.
The organisers of the Monaco race, Automobile Club de Monaco, clarified that the race had been cancelled. This meant that Formula One would not race in Monaco for the first time since .
Four days later, organisers of the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix announced that the race had been postponed.
In early April, organisers of the Canadian Grand Prix announced the race's postponement.
Later in the month, the
French Grand Prix organisers confirmed that the race would not be held in 2020,
and the managing director of
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 British Grand ...
stated that should the
British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event organised in the United Kingdom by Motorsport UK. First held by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in 1926 British Grand Prix, 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 ...
go ahead, it would be without spectators. In May, organisers of the
Hungarian Grand Prix announced that their race would use the same model. The sport's plans to resume competition called for a ban on team motorhomes and a rigid testing regime to stop any outbreak of the virus.
The
Dutch Grand Prix
The Dutch Grand Prix () is an annual Formula One World Championship auto racing event, held at Circuit Zandvoort, North Holland, the Netherlands, from 1950 through 1985, and after a 35 year hiatus, from 2021 to 2026.
It has been a part of the ...
was cancelled entirely in late May, with organisers of the event stating that they would prefer to host the revived race with spectators in attendance in 2021 rather than without spectators in 2020.
Formula One confirmed the cancellation of the
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
,
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
and
Japanese Grands Prix in June. Organisers of the Azerbaijan and Singapore races cited the difficulty of assembling the infrastructure required for a
street circuit
A street circuit is a motorsport race track, racing circuit composed of temporarily closed-off public roads of a city, town or village, used in motor racing, motor races. Airport Runway, runways and Taxiway, taxiways are also sometimes part of ...
as the reason for their cancellation, while the Japanese Grand Prix was cancelled because of the Japanese government's travel restrictions. In July the
Brazilian,
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
,
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
and
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
Grands Prix were formally cancelled amidst rising virus cases and travel restrictions in
the Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.'' Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sin ...
. However, organisers of the Brazilian Grand Prix disputed the claims of
Formula One Management
The Formula One Group is a group of companies responsible for the Promotion (marketing), promotion of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA Formula One World Championship, and the exercising of the sport's commercial rights.
The ...
and were unhappy with their race being cancelled without further consultation. In August the cancellation of the
Chinese Grand Prix was announced, followed, in October, by the cancellation of the inaugural
Vietnamese Grand Prix
The Vietnamese Grand Prix () was a proposed Formula One Grand Prix that was first due to take place in April 2020. The race was initially postponed and later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was postponed indefinitely. The Grand Prix w ...
.
The annual summer break, where factories shut down for two weeks, was brought forward from August to March and April. Teams nominated a three-week period to close with the aim of making room for races later in the year. At the end of March, it was announced that for the first time the factory shut-down would additionally apply to power unit manufacturers.
The factory shut-down period was later extended to a total of nine weeks for competitors and seven weeks for power unit manufacturers.
Rescheduled calendar
In March, teams agreed that the 2020 Championship could run into early 2021 to ensure the running of as many races as possible. Such a move would also ensure that eight Grands Prix could be held, over three different continents, thereby meeting the minimum number of races needed for the season to qualify as a World Championship.
In early April, Ross Brawn suggested that a rescheduled calendar of 18 or 19 races would be possible should racing begin in July, and that the opening round "is most likely to be in Europe", potentially without spectators.
He also raised the possibility of Grand Prix events being reduced to two days in order to ease pressure on logistical operations.
However,
Alfa Romeo Racing
Italian motor manufacturer Alfa Romeo has participated multiple times in Formula One. The brand has competed in motor racing as both a constructor and engine supplier sporadically between and , and later as a commercial partner between and . ...
managing director
Frédéric Vasseur cautioned that a condensed calendar could escalate the costs of competing and put smaller teams at risk of financial collapse. This was reiterated by other teams, who pointed out that the race sanctioning fees paid by event organisers contributed to the prize money awarded to all teams at the end of the year. This money is awarded proportionally based on the teams' World Constructors' Championship positions and forms a significant part of a team's budget for the upcoming year. With fewer races and the prize structure remaining fixed, teams were concerned that they would suffer a significant financial loss.
In a statement in late April, Formula One
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
Chase Carey
Chase Carey (born 22 November 1953) is an Irish-born American executive who is a board member of Fox Corporation and Liberty Media. He is the former chief executive officer and executive chairman of the Formula One Group. He has previously work ...
declared the intention to begin the season on 5 July and a target to hold between 15 and 18 races overall. In June, the first eight races of a rescheduled calendar were confirmed, with the season expected to begin on 5 July with the
Austrian Grand Prix. This revised calendar included two newly named one-off events—both second races at the
Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Austria, Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from t ...
and
Silverstone
Silverstone is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. The village is about south-southwest of Towcester and northeast of Brackley, both accessed via the A43 road, A43 main ...
—known as the
Styrian and the
70th Anniversary Grands Prix, respectively.
Ross Brawn announced that the eight-round calendar was expected to grow and that the sport was considering races at venues that were not on the original calendar or using multiple configurations of existing circuits to achieve the goal of fifteen Grands Prix.
On 10 July, the
Russian Grand Prix was re-added to the calendar on its originally scheduled date, and the first
Tuscan Grand Prix
Tuscan may refer to:
Places
* A person from, or something of, from, or related to Tuscany, a region of Italy
* Tuscan Archipelago, islands off Tuscany, Italy.
* Tuscan, South Australia was a railway siding and locality in the Murray Mallee regio ...
was announced at the
Mugello Circuit
Mugello Circuit (in Italian language, italian: ; in English language, english: ''Mugello International Autodrome'') is a motorsport race track in Scarperia e San Piero, Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The circuit length is . It has 15 turns and a lo ...
, the first time the circuit would host a Formula One World Championship race. Later in July, the return of the
Nürburgring
The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...
and the
Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in
Imola
Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...
to the calendar was revealed, along with the debut of the
Algarve International Circuit
The Algarve International Circuit (), commonly referred to as Portimão Circuit, is a race circuit located in Portimão, Algarve region, Portugal. The development includes a karting track, off-road track, technology park, five-star hotel, sp ...
. These races were named the
Eifel
The Eifel (; , ) is a low mountain range in western Germany, eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Com ...
and
Emilia Romagna
Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 million.
Emilia-Romagna is one of ...
Grands Prix, respectively, with the return of the
Portuguese Grand Prix for the first time since the season. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix took place over a shortened two-day weekend, with a single 90 minute practice session taking place on Saturday morning. This marks the first race at the
Nürburgring
The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...
since and at
Imola
Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...
since , and also the first time that a country (Italy), hosts three Grands Prix since the season.
In August, it was announced that Formula One would return to
Istanbul Park for the first
Turkish Grand Prix
The Turkish Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor race held at Istanbul Park, designed by Hermann Tilke. The race was part of the Formula One World Championship between and , and to , the latter two being due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fel ...
since the season, together with the debut of the
Sakhir Grand Prix, to be held at the
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit () is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2 Championship, FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Formula One season, 2004 Gr ...
, using the configuration of the track called "Outer Circuit". They join the rescheduled
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
and
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
Grands Prix as the final four races of the season, bringing the calendar to seventeen races.
Of the races and dates on the original calendar, only four races, the
Austrian,
Belgian,
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
and
Russian
Russian(s) may refer to:
*Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*A citizen of Russia
*Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages
*''The Russians'', a b ...
Grands Prix kept their original dates.
Regulatory changes
The pandemic required changes to the format of a race weekend, which included abandoning the drivers' parade and pre-race assembly for the host venue's national anthem. A modified podium ceremony was planned for after races. The FIA introduced limits to the number of team personnel who could be on the starting grid to prepare cars and changed the cut-off times for cars to leave pit lane to minimise the amount of time team personnel spent on the grid.
Tyre supplier
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is an Italian multinational tyre manufacturer based in the city of Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Borsa Italiana since 1922, is the 5th-largest tyre manufacturer, and is focused on the consumer pro ...
was also required to provide an identical allocation of tyre compounds to all teams and drivers. Where Pirelli were previously required to announce compounds for a race several weeks in advance, this window was reduced to two weeks, allowing them to respond to anticipated changes to the calendar.
Solidarity campaign
In June, Formula One launched the ''We Race As One'' initiative to fight racism, global inequity and the impact of COVID-19. The initiative used a rainbow logo, with the colours of all ten Formula One teams, also with the #WeRaceAsOne hashtag, and featured prominent ''We Race As One'' branding on vehicles (including the safety car) and signage on track. Formula One and several teams launched projects or fundraising efforts in support of the initiative.
Protests against car legality
Mercedes
Ahead of the season opening
Austrian Grand Prix,
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
launched a protest against the
Mercedes F1 W11's dual axis steering, a system where the driver can adjust the
toe
Toes are the digits of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being ''digitigrade''. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being ''plantigrade''; ...
of the car by pulling and pushing on the steering wheel. The system was found to be legal for 2020, but it would be banned by the FIA from 2021 onward.
Racing Point
After the
Styrian Grand Prix
The Styrian Grand Prix () was a Formula One motor racing event held at the Red Bull Ring, named after Styria, the province of Austria in which the circuit is located. Created in 2020 to maximize the number of Grands Prix during seasons affected ...
,
Renault
Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...
launched a protest against the brake ducts of
Racing Point's car, the
RP20, alleging that Racing Point had copied the brake ducts from the
Mercedes F1 W10, the car used in 2019 by
Mercedes. Similar protests would be launched after the
Hungarian and
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
Grands Prix with the verdict being published between the British and
70th Anniversary Grands Prix. The ruling concluded that
Racing Point had illegally copied the brake ducts of the Mercedes F1 W10 and Racing Point were subsequently penalised by 15 Constructors' Championship points and fined .
Racing Point,
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
,
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
, Renault and
Williams had all indicated an intention to appeal the stewards decision with Racing Point trying to clear their name and Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Renault appealing for a tougher sanction. Ferrari, Renault and Racing Point confirmed their appeal, while Williams and McLaren pulled out of the appeal. Later, Renault announced their decision to withdraw the appeal against the penalty handed out to Racing Point. The same decision was made by Racing Point and Ferrari before and after the
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix () is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix motor racing, motor racing Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921 ...
, respectively.
Season summary
Spielberg, Mogyoród, Silverstone, and Montmeló
The delayed season started with five races at three venues.
The first pair of races took place at
Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Austria, Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from t ...
in Spielberg. In the
Austrian Grand Prix,
Valtteri Bottas, driving for
Mercedes, took
pole position
In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...
, ahead of his teammate
Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...
and
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
's
Max Verstappen
Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...
; however, Hamilton was given a three-place grid penalty, since he did not slow sufficiently when yellow flags were waved following a small mistake by Bottas. This promoted Verstappen to second,
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
driver
Lando Norris
Lando Norris (; born 13 November 1999) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Norris was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with McLaren, and has won Formula One Grands Prix, Grands Prix ...
to third, and
Alexander Albon to fourth. In an eventful race, featuring three safety car periods and the retirements of nine drivers, Bottas won, ahead of the
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
of
Charles Leclerc
Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver who competes in Formula One for Ferrari. Leclerc was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, and has won Grands ...
and Norris. Hamilton crossed the line in second place, but received a five-second time penalty after a collision with Albon, who soon retired; after the penalty was applied, Hamilton finished fourth, ahead of
Carlos Sainz Jr.,
Sergio Pérez
Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza (; born 26 January 1990) is a Mexican racing driver, who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Pérez was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Red Bull, and won Gr ...
and
Pierre Gasly
Pierre Jean-Jacques Gasly (; born 7 February 1996) is a French racing driver who competes in Formula One for Alpine. Gasly won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri.
Born and raised in Normandy, Gasly began competitive kart racing age ...
.
The temporary format for some rounds featured consecutive races in consecutive weeks at the same venue. This was the case when the series stayed in Spielberg for the
Styrian Grand Prix
The Styrian Grand Prix () was a Formula One motor racing event held at the Red Bull Ring, named after Styria, the province of Austria in which the circuit is located. Created in 2020 to maximize the number of Grands Prix during seasons affected ...
, named for the state where the circuit is located, which was won by Hamilton ahead of Bottas and Verstappen.
The
Hungaroring
The Hungaroring is a motorsport racetrack in Mogyoród, Pest County, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtai ...
in
Mogyoród
Mogyoród is a small traditional village in Pest County, Hungary. The Battle of Mogyoród took place here on 14 March 1074, between Solomon, King of Hungary and his cousins Géza and Ladislaus, who were claiming rights to the throne. To commemo ...
fielded the first single race meeting of the year, the
Hungarian Grand Prix, which started with a slippery track. Verstappen slid into the barrier on his way to the grid and broke his steering axis, but his mechanics managed to repair the car before the race start. The race winner was Hamilton, with Verstappen in second and Bottas in third place.
The next stop was Silverstone, which as another two-in-two format where Hamilton won the first race, the
British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event organised in the United Kingdom by Motorsport UK. First held by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in 1926 British Grand Prix, 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 ...
, despite his left-front tyre delaminating in the middle of the last lap. Verstappen finished second with Leclerc in third. Bottas had a puncture which resulted in him finishing in eleventh.
Daniil Kvyat had a puncture at high speed entering Maggotts corner which resulted in a big crash with a safety car, and Sainz Jr. finished 13th after a puncture made him fall from what would have been 4th place. In the second race at Silverstone the next week, the
70th Anniversary Grand Prix, Verstappen won with Hamilton second and Bottas third. This was the first non-Mercedes win of the season.
Formula One then concluded the first part of the season with a single race at Montmeló. The
Spanish Grand Prix
The Spanish Grand Prix (, ) is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating its centenary in 2013. The race had modest beginnings ...
was won by Hamilton with Verstappen in second and Bottas in third.
Spa, Monza, Mugello, Sochi, Nürburgring, Portimão
The next six races were single rounds at each venue, including two new circuits and a returning circuit. The
Belgian Grand Prix was won by
Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...
, who led every lap and won by 8 seconds over teammate
Valtteri Bottas who finished second ahead of
Max Verstappen
Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...
.
Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth, setting the fastest lap on the last lap. On lap 11,
Antonio Giovinazzi crashed at Campus corner; one of the wheels of his car came loose and hit the front right suspension of
George Russell’s car, causing both drivers to retire from the race. This brought out the safety car for three laps.
Renault
Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...
achieved a finish of P4 and P5, equalling their best result since their return to the sport in 2016.
The
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix () is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix motor racing, motor racing Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921 ...
was won by
Pierre Gasly
Pierre Jean-Jacques Gasly (; born 7 February 1996) is a French racing driver who competes in Formula One for Alpine. Gasly won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri.
Born and raised in Normandy, Gasly began competitive kart racing age ...
after taking the lead following a
red flag caused by
Charles Leclerc
Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver who competes in Formula One for Ferrari. Leclerc was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, and has won Grands ...
, and previous leader Hamilton forced to serve a stop-and-go penalty. This was his and
AlphaTauri's first race victory. The race marked the first time since
Kimi Räikkönen won the
2013 Australian Grand Prix driving for
Lotus F1
Lotus F1 Team was a British Formula One racing team. The team competed under the Lotus name from until , following the renaming of the former Renault in Formula One, Renault team based at Enstone in Oxfordshire. The Lotus F1 Team was majority ...
that the race winner did not drive for
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
,
Mercedes, or
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
and the first time since the
2012 Hungarian Grand Prix that all three constructors failed to score a podium finish. The race marked the second career podium finishes for
Carlos Sainz Jr., who finished second, and
Lance Stroll, who finished third.
The inaugural
Tuscan Grand Prix
Tuscan may refer to:
Places
* A person from, or something of, from, or related to Tuscany, a region of Italy
* Tuscan Archipelago, islands off Tuscany, Italy.
* Tuscan, South Australia was a railway siding and locality in the Murray Mallee regio ...
, Ferrari's 1000th Grand Prix start, resulted in Hamilton's sixth race win of the season, and Mercedes's third 1–2 finish. Bottas overtook Hamilton into turn one before a major collision at turn two caused the retirement of both Verstappen (who had fallen from 3rd to 14th due to a power issue) and Gasly. This brought out the safety car for 8 laps to allow for the debris to be cleared. At the end of the safety car period, a major misunderstanding in the upper midfield led to a large collision down the pit straight, causing the retirement of
Nicholas Latifi
Nicholas Daniel Latifi (; born 29 June 1995) is a Canadian former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to .
Born in Montreal and raised in Toronto, Latifi is the son of Iranian Canadians, Iranian-Canadian billionaire businessman ...
,
Kevin Magnussen
Kevin Jan Magnussen (; born 5 October 1992) is a Danish racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for W Racing Team, WRT and the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, RLL as a factory driver f ...
, Giovinazzi and Sainz Jr., and a red flag period. At the first restart, Hamilton overtook Bottas and led the race from there onwards. On lap 42, Ricciardo looked poised for his first podium since the
2018 Monaco Grand Prix when Stroll's
Racing Point spun off the track due to a
puncture
Puncture, punctured or puncturing may refer to:
* a flat tyre in British English (US English "flat tire" or just "flat")
* a penetrating wound caused by pointy objects as nails or needles
* Lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap
* Puncture ( ...
, causing the second red flag of the race. This was the first time since the
2016 Brazilian Grand Prix that there were two red flag periods in one race. At the second restart, Hamilton maintained his lead to win the race.
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
's
Alexander Albon overtook Ricciardo in the closing laps, earning his first ever podium and the first podium for a
Thai driver in Formula One.
At the
Russian Grand Prix, Hamilton started on pole, but two separate five-second penalties for practice starts outside the designated area meant he finished third; teammate Bottas won the Grand Prix with Verstappen in second.
For the first time since
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, Formula One returned to the
Nürburgring
The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...
GP-Strecke with the
Eifel Grand Prix. Five cars retired in the forms of Russell,
Esteban Ocon
Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane (; born 17 September 1996) is a French racing driver who competes in Formula One for Haas F1 Team, Haas. Ocon won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine F1 Team, Alpine.
Born and raised in Normandy to ...
, Albon,
Lando Norris
Lando Norris (; born 13 November 1999) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Norris was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with McLaren, and has won Formula One Grands Prix, Grands Prix ...
and Bottas, who had started from pole. Hamilton took first place after Bottas locked up into turn 1 on lap 13. Hamilton would go on to win the race, his 7th win this season. Ricciardo claimed his first podium for Renault, finishing the race in third. The race also saw Räikkönen pass the
record for most race starts.
At the
Portuguese Grand Prix, the first in Portimão, Hamilton took his 92nd win, taking the record for most wins that had been held by
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...
. Bottas would finish second in the race, twenty-five seconds behind his teammate, with Verstappen finishing third.
Imola, Istanbul, Sakhir, and Yas
Formula One returned to the
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
The Imola Circuit, officially called the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari ( for, it, , Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit), is a motor racing circuit. It is located in the town of Imola, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Ita ...
for the 27th time, the first since
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
with the
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where
Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...
won from
Valtteri Bottas and
Daniel Ricciardo who picked up his second podium of the season.
Max Verstappen
Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...
had a puncture from second, putting him out of the race.
Mercedes won their seventh consecutive Constructor World Championship.
The
Turkish Grand Prix
The Turkish Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor race held at Istanbul Park, designed by Hermann Tilke. The race was part of the Formula One World Championship between and , and to , the latter two being due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fel ...
saw Hamilton claim his seventh world title with a race win, equalling
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...
's record for the most Formula One world titles. He finished on the podium with
Sergio Pérez
Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza (; born 26 January 1990) is a Mexican racing driver, who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Pérez was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Red Bull, and won Gr ...
and
Sebastian Vettel, whilst in qualifying,
Lance Stroll claimed his maiden pole position in rainy conditions.
The final two-in-two took place in Sakhir. At the
Bahrain Grand Prix
The Bahrain Grand Prix (), officially known as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, is a Formula One motor racing event in Bahrain. The first race took place at the Bahrain International Circuit on 4 April 2004. It made hist ...
, Hamilton claimed his 11th win of the year, followed by Verstappen and
Alexander Albon in second and third. The race was marred by a serious accident involving
Haas driver
Romain Grosjean, who hit a barrier at the start of the race after making contact with the
AlphaTauri of
Daniil Kvyat. Grosjean's car broke in two and burst into flames as it split the barrier. Numerous safety features allowed him to escape the crash with only burns to the hands, though they would prove severe enough to exclude him from the remainder of the season, it would be Grosjean's final race with Haas after over 9 years in Formula One. Pérez surrendered third place after an engine failure, putting him out of the race, whilst teammate Stroll flipped at the restart after contact with Kvyat.
The second part of the double was run on the outer circuit. Hamilton was ruled out of the
Sakhir Grand Prix after testing positive for the
coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the comm ...
and was replaced by Williams'
George Russell. Russell impressed by taking the lead from new teammate and pole-sitter Bottas and led for 59 laps, before being taken out of contention by first a tyre mix-up by Mercedes and then a late-race puncture, eventually finishing 9th. Despite being dropped to last position through a lap 1 collision with Leclerc and Verstappen, Pérez took his first race victory, followed by
Esteban Ocon
Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane (; born 17 September 1996) is a French racing driver who competes in Formula One for Haas F1 Team, Haas. Ocon won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with Alpine F1 Team, Alpine.
Born and raised in Normandy to ...
taking his first podium finish in 2nd and Stroll finishing 3rd. With his win, Pérez took the record for the most race starts before a first victory, with 190 race starts, beating
Mark Webber's record of 130 starts before his win at the
2009 German Grand Prix.
At the
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton returned for the last race of the season after testing negative for the coronavirus. Verstappen took the pole position and his 10th win in Formula One ahead of Bottas and Hamilton, who finished second and third, respectively. This race was the last for Vettel at
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
, after six years, and Pérez at
Racing Point, after two years at Racing Point and five at their indirect predecessor,
Force India. Ferrari finished sixth in the World Constructors' Championship, their worst championship result since
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
when they finished tenth.
Results and standings
Grands Prix
Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top ten classified drivers and the driver who set the fastest lap. The driver with the fastest lap had to be within the top 10 to receive the point. In the case of a tie on points a countback system was used where the driver with the best results is ranked higher, if the best result was identical then the next best result was considered. The points were awarded for every race using the following system:
World Drivers' Championship standings
Notes:
* – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
World Constructors' Championship standings
Notes:
* – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
* The standings are sorted by best result, rows are not related to the drivers. In case of tie on points, the best positions achieved determined the outcome.
See also
*
2020 Formula One pre-season testing
Notes
References
External links
*
{{World championships in 2020
Formula One seasons
FIA Formula 1
Formula One World Championship