The WTCR has issued a revised calendar for the 2020 season, comprised entirely of European circuits.
The series will now commence at the Salzburgring in Austria on September 12 and will be followed by the Nurburgring Nordschelife two weeks later on September 24.
Slovakiaring and Hungaroring will host back-to-back rounds on October 10 and 17 respectively before moving on to Aragon for the penultimate round on October 31.
The season will then conclude on November 14 at Adria in Italy. It is understood the venue is undergoing extensive redevelopment in anticipation for the event.
The first two rounds in Austria and Germany will feature two races each, however the remainder of the series will revert back to its three-race format.
Francois Ribeiro, head of WTCR promoter Eurosport Events, said it could not have waited for the situation in Asia to stabilise before finalising the calendar.
“To commit to races outside Europe required certainties that were very uncertain to obtain
“Of course, we would like nothing more than for life to return to normal, but we have to be sensible.
“The events in Asia made up 40 per cent of the original calendar. For the Asia leg to go ahead, the freight must be shipped from Europe at the end of July.
“Right now, it is simply not possible to predict what restrictions will still be in place by then with a very real chance of a second wave of COVID-19 a fundamental consideration.
“If we further delay the decision to cancel the Asia leg into June, I can guarantee there will not be any spare slots at European tracks later in the year due to the huge amount of rescheduling that’s required, not just by WTCR but the many other events, series and championships.”
Ribeiro also mentioned that next year’s calendar could also be affected as the world recovers from the fallout of the pandemic.
“We must be realistic and accept the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic will be felt by society and the automotive and motorsport industries, in particular, for years not months.
“We therefore must deliver a calendar that’s sustainable, not just in 2020 but in 2021 as well and that means fewer events than the traditional 10 per year this year and next year also.
“We reasonably think 16 races over eight events in two continents would be a good balance for next year.”
REVISED 2020 WTCR CALENDAR
| Rnd | Circuit / Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salzburgring, Austria | 12-13 September | 2 races |
| 2 | Nurburgring Norschelife, Germany | 24-26 September | 2 races |
| 3 | Slovakiaring, Slovakia | 10-11 October | 3 races |
| 4 | Hungaroring, Hungary | 17-18 October | 3 races |
| 5 | Motorland Aragón, Spain | 31 October-1 November | 3 races |
| 6 | Adria Raceway, Italy | 14-15 November | 3 races |