2020 Formula One World Championship
[1] The championship was recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars.
[31] After a year's absence, Esteban Ocon returned to racing in Formula One after signing a contract with Renault, replacing Nico Hülkenberg.
[48][f] 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: After purchasing the commercial rights to the sport from CVC Capital Partners in January 2017, Liberty Media announced plans to expand the Formula One calendar using a concept they termed "destination races" and modelled on the Singapore Grand Prix.
[71][72] 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.
[73][74][clarification needed] Drivers who participated in free practice sessions were eligible for additional FIA Super Licence points.
Any driver who completed a minimum 100 km (62 mi) during a free practice session received an additional Super Licence point on the condition that they do not commit a driving infraction.
[79] The season was heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.
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.
[56] 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".
[92] 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.
In July the Brazilian, Canadian, Mexico City and United States Grands Prix were formally cancelled amidst rising virus cases and travel restrictions in the Americas.
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.
[106] However, Alfa Romeo Racing managing director Frédéric Vasseur cautioned that a condensed calendar could escalate the costs of competing and put smaller teams at risk of financial collapse.
], 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.
[108] In a statement in late April, Formula One CEO Chase Carey declared the intention to begin the season on 5 July and a target to hold between 15 and 18 races overall.
This revised calendar included two newly named one-off events—both second races at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone—known as the Styrian and the 70th Anniversary Grands Prix, respectively.
[111] Later in July, the return of the Nürburgring[m] and the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola to the calendar was revealed, along with the debut of the Algarve International Circuit.
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.
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.
In an eventful race, featuring three safety car periods and the retirements of nine drivers, Bottas won, ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and Norris.
This was the case when the series stayed in Spielberg for the Styrian Grand Prix, named for the state where the circuit is located, which was won by Hamilton ahead of Bottas and Verstappen.
[130] The Hungaroring in Mogyoród 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.
[131] The next stop was Silverstone, which as another two-in-two format where Hamilton won the first race, the British Grand Prix, despite his left-front tyre delaminating in the middle of the last lap.
Five cars retired in the forms of Russell, Esteban Ocon, Albon, Lando Norris and Bottas, who had started from pole.
[140] Formula One returned to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari for the 27th time, the first since 2006 with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton won from Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo who picked up his second podium of the season.
He finished on the podium with Sergio Pérez and Sebastian Vettel, whilst in qualifying, Lance Stroll claimed his maiden pole position in rainy conditions.
Numerous safety features allowed him to escape the crash[144] 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.
[145][146] 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.
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.
