Formula One is set for a series of firsts after publishing a revised eight-race schedule on Tuesday that will see Austria’s Spielberg and Britain’s Silverstone circuits each host two Grands Prix without spectators in July and August respectively.
The first race of the year will be in Austria on July 5 with a second, designated the Grand Prix of Steiermark (Styria) after the region in which the Red Bull-owned circuit is located, a week later.
It will be the first time a circuit has hosted two championship races in the same season, the first time a season has started in Austria and also the first time a race has been held behind closed doors.
Formula One is hoping to host between 15 and 18 races with the season ending in Abu Dhabi in December after also racing in Bahrain.
Revised F1 calendar: July 3-5: Austrian GP (Spielberg); July 10-12: GP of Steiermark (Spielberg); July 17-19: Hungarian GP (Budapest).
July 31-Aug. 2: British GP (Silverstone); Aug. 7-9: 70th Anniversary GP (Silverstone).
Aug. 14-16: Spanish GP (Barcelona); Aug. 28-30: Belgian GP (Spa-Francorchamps); Sept. 4-6: Italian GP (Monza) .
