Formula One: Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix cancelled due to coronavirus

F1 remains 'confident' they will have staged between 15-18 races by the time season concludes in Abu Dhabi

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  ON THE GRID FOR 2020 SEASON: Nicholas Latifi (CAN) - Williams. Car: 6; age: 24; starts: 0. The Canadian rookie is partnered with George Russell after Robert Kubica was dropped just one season into his comeback year. AFP

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  George Russell (GBR) - Williams. Car: 63; age: 22; starts: 21; wins: 0. Surely it cannot get any worse for Williams? Despite being able to boast 16 combined drivers' and team titles, the British team finished rooted to the foot of the championship last year after scoring just one point. Reuters

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  Kevin Magnussen (DEN) - Haas. Car: 20; age: 27; starts: 102; wins: 0. Having previously established themselves as solid midfield runners, the American team will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2019 campaign where they finished ninth. AFP

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  Romain Grosjean (FRA) - Haas. Car: 8; age: 33; starts: 164; wins: 0. Grosjean will be joined once more by Magnussen - their fourth year together as teammates. Reuters

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  Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA) - Alfa Romeo. Car: 99; age: 26; starts: 23; wins: 0. Italian Giovinazzi has been retained by Alfa Romeo for a second season. EPA

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  Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) - Alfa Romeo. Car: 7; age: 40; starts: 312; wins: 21; championships: 1 (2007). Former world champion Raikkonen will this year become the most-capped F1 driver. The veteran Finn is just 10 races shy of Rubens Barrichello's record of 322 starts. EPA

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  Lance Stroll (CAN) - Racing Point. Car: 18; age: 21; starts: 62; wins: 0. Canadian Stroll starts his second campaign at Racing Point. EPA

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  Sergio Perez (MEX) - Racing Point. Car: 11; age: 30; starts: 176; wins: 0. Following a rather underwhelming campaign, Racing Point proved to be one of the major talking points at testing after their new car resembled a carbon-copy of last year's title-winning Mercedes. Mexican driver Perez has been with the team since 2014. Reuters

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  Daniil Kvyat (RUS) - Alphatauri. Car: 26; age: 25; starts: 93; wins: 0. The Russian was retained for a second straight year of his yo-yo career. EPA

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  Pierre Gasly (FRA) - Alphatauri. Car: 10; age: 24; starts: 47; wins: 0. A new season and a new name for Red Bull's junior team with Toro Rosso re-branded as AlphaTauri for the forthcoming campaign. Gasly, dropped by Red Bull midway through last season, drives alongside Kvyat. EPA

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  Esteban Ocon (FRA) - Renault. Car: 31; age: 23; starts: 50; wins: 0. Ocon spent last season on the sidelines after losing his seat to Lance Stroll at Racing Point. Reuters

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  Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) - Renault. Car: 3; age: 30; starts: 171; wins: 7. Ricciardo is joined by Ocon as Renault bid to bounce back from a disappointing 2019. EPA

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  Lando Norris (GBR) - McLaren. Car: 4; age: 20; starts : 21; wins: 0. After an impressive rookie campaign, British driver Norris is set for his second season in F1. AFP

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  Carlos Sainz (ESP) - McLaren. Car: 55; age: 25; starts: 102; wins: 0. McLaren emerged from the doldrums last season with their best performance in years as they finished fourth in the constructors' table. Sainz also scored McLaren's first podium since 2012 when he was promoted to third in Brazil. EPA

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  Alexander Albon (THA) - Red Bull. Car: 23; age: 23; starts: 21; wins: 0. London-born Albon is set for just his second season in F1 and his first full campaign as a Red Bull driver after he was promoted from Toro Rosso following last year's summer break. EPA

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  Max Verstappen (NED) - Red Bull. Car: 33; age: 22; starts: 102; wins: 7. Verstappen was one of the stars of last year after he finished third in the championship behind Lewis Hamilton and Bottas. Verstappen, 22, could prove Hamilton's closest challenger if Red Bull can build on a package which fired the Dutchman to three victories last season. Reuters

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  Charles Leclerc (MON) - Ferrari. Car: 16; age: 22; starts: 42; wins: 2. Last year, Leclerc finished ahead of Vettel in the championship, scoring a greater number of pole positions and victories than his four-time world championship-winning teammate. Reuters

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  Sebastian Vettel (GER) - Ferrari. Car: 5; age: 32; starts: 240; wins: 53; championships: 4 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). Vettel and Leclerc will lock horns for a second season in what is the sport's fiercest team rivalry. Their combustible relationship spilled over in Brazil when they collided, forcing both drivers out of the race. Ferrari have not celebrated a drivers' champion since 2007, and after a mixed pre-season campaign, the Italian team fear they will start this year on the back foot. EPA

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  Valtteri Bottas (FIN) - Mercedes. Car: 77; age: 30; starts: 139; wins: 7. Bottas partners world champion Lewis Hamilton for a fourth straight season. Reuters

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  Lewis Hamilton (GBR) - Mercedes. Car: 44; age: 35; starts: 250; wins: 84; championships: 6 (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). Mercedes have been the dominant team in Formula One since 2014, winning a record six consecutive drivers' and constructors' championships. Hamilton has been the driving force behind their success and the British driver will start the new campaign as the favourite to win his sixth world championship in seven years to equal Michael Schumacher's overall record. Reuters

This year's Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Formula One Grands Prix have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

F1 had already cancelled four other races, including the Monaco Grand Prix in May, and published a revised and shortened provisional schedule due to start in Austria on July 5.

Organisers have tried to find a way to hold the races in 2020 but announced on Friday that was not possible in the uncertain global situation.

"As a result of the ongoing challenges presented by Covid-19, we and our promoters in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan have taken the decision to cancel their races for the 2020 season," Formula One said in a statement.

The long lead times required to construct the Singapore and Azerbaijan street circuits made hosting those events impossible, it added.

Singapore GP organisers said "prohibitions imposed on access and construction of the event venue" had forced the cancellation of the spectacular night race.

"Apart from the closure of the event venue, other challenges include ongoing mass gathering and worldwide travel restrictions," they said.

Singapore has nearly 39,000 Covid-19 cases, one of the highest tallies in Asia due to mass outbreaks in cramped migrant worker dormitories in the city-state.

Japan's round of the MotoGP championship, which was due to take place on October 18 at Motegi after the F1 race at Suzuka on October 11, had already been cancelled due to the expected extension of a travel ban. "In Japan, ongoing travel restrictions also led to the decision not to proceed with the race," said F1.

"We have made significant progress with existing and new promoters on the revised calendar and have been particularly encouraged by the interest that has been shown by new venues in hosting a Formula One race during the 2020 season," F1 said.

Eight races in Europe, running from early July to early September and starting with two events on consecutive weekends in Austria on 3-5 and 10-12 July, have been announced.

A second race in Italy has been mooted for Ferrari-owned Mugello or Imola, once home of the San Marino GP, while Germany's Hockenheim and Portugal's Algarve circuit in Portimao are other possibilities. Sochi in Russia could host two races.

"We are confident in our plans to have between 15-18 races by the time our season concludes in Abu Dhabi in mid-December and expect to publish the finalised calendar before we start our season in Austria," said F1.