The Week That Was In Motorsport: June 8-14

Formula 1

Having announced the opening eight rounds of its 2020 season, F1’s plans beyond the first week of September became a little clearer as three venues -- Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan -- were cancelled. International travel restrictions mean we are unlikely to see many races outside Europe. F1 is likely to keep China, Russia, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain on the calendar considering the high race hosting fees those state-sponsored events pay. Outside of that, the inclusion of Mugello, Imola, Portimao and Hockenheim venues into the 2020 season has been speculated. 

In preparation for the start of the season, Mercedes AMG F1 conducted a private two-day test session at Silverstone Circuit with its 2018 car. Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and his teammate Valtteri Bottas both took part. Aside from allowing the drivers to dust off the cobwebs, it allowed the team to change the personnel setup in its pit garage in order to comply with strict social distance and hygiene standards that F1 must adhere to. Renault F1 will also be holding a private test session at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, two weeks before the start of the season on July 5.

MotoGP

The two-wheel equivalent of F1 revealed a 13-race initial calendar, with races being held in Europe -- predominantly in Spain -- to get its season started on July 19. Mugello, a fan favourite venue, will not make it to the 2020 MotoGP calendar. Calendar tweaks aside, Aprilia announced it had secured the services of Aleix Espargaro for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The MotoGP rider market continues to be an area of speculation as teams use the lockdown period to finalise contracts.

WRC

The FIA World Rally Championship, which was able to hold three events before the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, is struggling to find a date to resume the 2020 season. Wales Rally GB was officially cancelled, making it the first time in 40 years that the event will not feature on the WRC calendar. Rally Chile’s cancellation, which was announced last November, along with events cancelled this year due to the pandemic brings the total number of cancelled events to six for the 2020 season. After Rally Mexico, Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier led the driver’s championship while Toyota was leading the manufacturer’s championship. 

Dakar Rally

The route and dates of the 2021 Dakar Rally were revealed with the event once again set to be held entirely in Saudi Arabia. However, the route will be entirely new and run in a loop through Saudi Arabia with the Red Sea port city of Jeddah as the start and finish point. The event will be held from January 3 to 15 with one rest day on January 9. The details of the route will be revealed in November. Many other changes have been made to the event format to make it slower and make participants focus more on navigation.