F1 plans to begin season in Austria even as French GP is called off

After France became the latest country to postpone its race, Formula 1 boss Chase Carey has said he plans to start the season in Austria in July.

As per a BBC report, Carey said he was "increasingly confident with the progress of plans to begin the season this summer".

He said the first race was expected to take place in Austria From July 3 to 5.

"September, October and November, would see us race in Eurasia, Asia and the Americas, finishing the season in the Gulf in December, with Bahrain before the traditional finale in Abu Dhabi, having completed between 15 and 18 races. We will publish our finalised calendar as soon as we possibly can.

"We expect the early races to be without fans but hope fans will be part of our events as we move further into the schedule. We still have to work out many issues, like the procedures for the teams and our other partners to enter and operate in each country.

"The health and safety of all involved will continue to be priority one and we will only go forward if we are confident we have reliable procedures to address both risks and possible issues," Carey was quoted by BBC Sport.

The French Formula One Grand Prix, slated for June 28 at Le Castellet, has been called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers said in a statement on Monday.