Red Bull Motorsports
F1
Everything you need to know about F1's return in 2020
Formula One is back on track for a season of racing in 2020. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the next race on July 12.
Great news, F1 fans: Formula One is back! The drivers have swapped their virtual steering wheels for the real thing as the pinnacle of motor racing made its return at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on July 5, and we're now eagerly awaiting the next race, taking place at the same circuit on July 12.
It was amazing to see Formula One cars hitting the track once again at the weekend, and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Alex Albon came so, so close to taking his maiden podium, before an incident with Lewis Hamilton ruined the fun. This weekend marks the first ever Steiermark Grand Prix and you can expect to see Albon carry on where he left off. Don’t rule out Max Verstappen either, who proved quick throughout the weekend, before succumbing to technical issues.
Scuderia AlphaTauri’s debut at the Red Bull Ring was a solid one, with Pierre Gasly taking a respectable 7th place, winning both points and valuable track time for the Faenza-based team. Things didn’t go quite to plan for Daniil Kvyat, who joined his team mate in setting some impressive times, but retired before the end of the race. Expect to see both fighting for points at the Steiermark Grand Prix in Austria.
Which races are taking place in 2020?
The original 22-race calendar for 2020 has undergone big revisions. Now, a 10-race calendar has been locked in place, with the opening race hosted at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Check out the current 2020 season calendar below:
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
July 3-5
Formula 1 Rolex Großer Preis von Österreich
The Red Bull Ring, Austria
July 10-12
Formula 1 Pirelli Großer Preis der Steiermark
The Red Bull Ring, Austria
July 17-19
Formula 1 Aramco Magyar Nagydij
The Hungaroring, Hungary
July 31 - August 2
Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix
Silverstone, UK
August 7-9
Emirates Formula 1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix
Silverstone, UK
August 14-16
Formula 1 Aramco Gran Premio de España
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain
August 28-30
Formula 1 Rolex Belgian Grand Prix
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
September 4-6
Formula 1 Gran Premio Heineken d'Italia
Monza, Italy
September 11-13
Formula 1 Gran Premio Della Toscana Ferrari 1000
Mugello, Italy
September 25-27
Formula 1 VTB Russian Grand Prix
Sochi, Russia
New circuits including at the Dutch Grand Prix are currently off the agenda, although wider calendar details may follow.
How does a race weekend actually work?
Each F1 event takes place over an entire weekend, with two practice sessions on the Friday, a third practice session and qualifying on the Saturday and the race itself on the Sunday. The grid for race day is determined by multiple qualifying sessions the day before, with all drivers lining up for the first 18-minute session and the five slowest drivers eliminated for following sessions. The five slowest drivers in the second 15-minute session are also eliminated, but the format changes in the final session, with the drivers who lap the fastest taking the top starting positions on the grid.
What makes the cars so fast?
The latest crop of F1 cars are incredibly complicated beasts, packing in 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged engines and hybrid electric motors, capable of putting out more than 1,000bhp. That’s ten times the power of your average hatchback, in a package that, at 740kg, is around half the weight. Imagine your car with effectively 20 times the power – it’s no wonder F1 cars are quick!
Unlike other racing formulas, where top speeds are often a priority, Formula One also places more emphasis on downforce. Allied with such a low weight, the cars offer the ability to corner like nothing else on the planet, literally sticking to the track under the weight of air passing over and around increasingly complicated-looking wings, diffusers and other aero devices.
Who are the big players?
F1 is currently blessed with some of the greatest driving talent we’ve ever seen, and 2020 looks like a year where teams including Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and Ferrari can go head-to-head with champions Mercedes.
As defending champion, and six-time Formula One Championship winner in total, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has to be the man to watch, but can he keep up the motivation for yet another year? Aston Martin Red Bull Racing has two of the most talented young drivers around in the form of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon and progress with Honda, including three wins throughout 2019, means they’re in with a genuine chance of fighting for the title.
Ferrari’s four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel has to be in with a shout, in what could potentially be his final season in F1. Vettel's team-mate, Charles Leclerc, is certainly worth watching, too.
What’s going on with pitstops?
F1 has changed a lot over the decades, and we’ve seen the rules change to include pitstops, no pitstops and variations of what needs to be changed during pitstops. For 2020, there’s still no sign of refuelling, which disappeared from F1 after the 2009 season, but drivers do still need to make pitstops during the race to change tyres. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing currently hold the world record for a pitstop, swapping all four wheels on Verstappen’s RB15 in an incredible 1.82s. With drivers separated by 10ths or even 100ths of a second, a quick pitstop can make all the difference to a race.
What about tyres?
Teams can pick from three different dry tyre compounds during a race weekend, comprising soft, medium or hard, with the softest option offering the most outright grip – and therefore speed – but also wearing out more quickly. Drivers can also opt for intermediate or wet weather tyres when it’s raining or the track has yet to dry. Each driver has a limited number of tyres for the weekend, at 13 dry sets, four intermediate and three wet. During the race itself, at least two dry compounds must be used if intermediate or wet weather tyres aren’t on the agenda, helping to shake up the racing.
