Formula 1 has today (Friday) revealed the latest additions to its revised 2020 calendar, with Italy’s Mugello circuit set to host a grand prix for the first time.
The Ferrari-owned facility in Tuscany, located 35km from Florence, will host the Tuscan Grand Prix on September 11-13, the week after the Italian GP at Monza. The Mugello event will also mark Ferrari’s 1,000th race in the motor racing world championship.
A regular on the calendar of the MotoGP motorcycling championship, Mugello will be the fourth Italian circuit, after Monza, Imola and Pescara, used just once in 1957, to host a world championship race.
Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence, said: “To have Formula 1 at Mugello, in the metropolitan region of Florence, is a historic achievement that we have been chasing for years but never managed before.
“The fact that it is coming right now, at a moment of difficulty for our area, is even more meaningful and it will be a springboard to get our tourism and economy moving again. If we then add the anniversary of Ferrari’s thousandth grand prix then we can truly picture an event that will forever be part of the history of sport in Italy and Florence.”
A new place on the calendar has also been found for the Russian Grand Prix, which will now be held at the Sochi Autodrom on September 25-27. Today’s announcement comes with F1 preparing to stage the second of its back-to-back return events in Austria this weekend.
Last weekend saw Formula 1 become the first major international sports championship to return amid COVID-19. F1 confirmed last month that its season would begin in Austria as it announced an initial eight-race European calendar that will include two British grands prix at Silverstone.
Austria’s Red Bull Ring was pencilled in to stage consecutive events on July 3-5 and July 10-12, before the series heads to Hungary on July 17-19. Silverstone will then host two rounds of its own from July 31 to August 2 and from August 7-9, with an event planned at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya the following week.
The Belgian Grand Prix is pencilled in for Spa-Francorchamps from August 28-30 and the European swing will conclude from September 4-6 with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Formula 1 intends its revised 2020 season to have between 15 and 18 races in total.
Chase Carey, chairman and CEO of Formula 1, said: “We had great start to our season in Austria last weekend and we are increasingly confident in our plans to race throughout the remainder of 2020.
“The Russian Grand Prix is a major moment in our season and we are looking forward to being back in Sochi in September. We are equally excited to see Formula 1 race for the first time at Mugello, an occasion that will mark Ferrari’s 1,000th grand prix. Both races will be a huge boost for fans with more announcements on the next races in our calendar coming in the weeks ahead.”
Image: Mugello Circuit
