Formula One CEO Chase Carey has said "we will be ready to go racing again" when the coronavirus crisis eases and believes a season with 15-18 races remains possible.
On Monday the Azerbaijan Grand Prix became the eighth season race postponed or canceled during the global pandemic meaning the F1 campaign cannot begin before June 14 in Canada at the earliest.
"While at present no-one can be certain of exactly when the situation will improve, it will improve and when it does, we will be ready to go racing again," Carey told the F1 website. "We are all committed to bringing our fans a 2020 Championship Season."
"We recognize there is significant potential for additional postponements in currently scheduled events, nonetheless we and our partners fully expect the season to start at some point this summer, with a revised calendar of between 15-18 races."
The traditional mid-season break in August has already been scrapped and Carey said "we anticipate the season end date will extend" beyond the previous year ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Nov. 29.
He said "the actual sequence and schedule dates for races differing significantly from our original 2020 calendar."
The Azerbaijan race was postponed "as a direct result of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and has been based entirely on the expert guidance provided to us by the relevant authorities," a statement had said.
Azerbaijan became the latest to fall victim to the coronavirus after the Australian, Bahrain, Vietnam, Chinese, Dutch, Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix.
