Three new tracks, including Imola, in 2020

Formula 1 adds Portimao, Nurburgring and 2-day event in Imola to 2020 race calendar

A fortnight ago, Formula 1 added Sochi and Mugello to the F1 2020 calendar, taking the tally to 10 races. As expected, F1 chiefs confirmed on Friday that it has abandoned plans to race in the Americas this year. Nurburgring, Algarve and Imola circuits will host the races instead.

The Nurburgring will host the Eifel Grand Prix on 11 October, with the Portuguese Grand Prix running on 25 October.

And a week on from that historic race in Portugal, the Imola will reverberate to the sound of F1 engines. This will be a two-day event. The exact format of the Imola weekend has yet to be agreed, but it is expected that there will be only one practice session ahead of qualifying and the race.

F1 is hoping to allow some spectators in at this venue.

This will be the first time that the Algarve circuit has hosted an F1 round. Though it once hosted a standalone round of the former GP2 Series in 2009.

The addition of the Nurburgring, Algarve and Imola rounds means that F1 now has 13 confirmed races for 2020, with the season set to finish in December with a double-header in Bahrain followed by a finale in Abu Dhabi.

Those races alone will be enough to fulfil the 15-race minimum requirement that F1 needs to fulfill its television contracts.