Without much surprise, the 2020 Dutch Grand Prix has officially been cancelled by Formula One, due to the ongoing recovery from the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.
Originally scheduled to be held on May 3, 2020, after a 35-year absence, on the historic Zandvoort circuit, the Dutch Grand Prix now joins the long list of F1 races which have either been cancelled or postponed. The Dutch Grand Prix joins the Monaco Grand Prix as the only two races that have officially been cancelled while the remainder have been postponed.
“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 [in 2021] with our racing fans in the Netherlands,” said Dutch Grand Prix sports director Jan Lammers.
The current iteration of the 2020 F1 racing season will begin on July 5, 2020 with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring – without spectators – followed by another race at Red Bull Ring the weekend after that.
Following that, two races at Silverstone have been agreed – pending a possible exemption from the British government’s quarantine rules.
Each of the 10 teams will be limited to a maximum of 80 people each at races held without spectators when the delayed season gets going in July.