China, Canada unlikely to host races in 2020

China’s hopes of returning to the 2020 calendar are fading.

The Shanghai race was among the very first casualties of the pandemic that started in China, but it had been rumoured that one or even two events might be rescheduled there this year.

However, the Chinese government has now announced that no international sports events will in fact happen for the rest of the year.

The only exceptions relate to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics "and other important events", according to the Chinese General Administration of Sport.

However, the first Vietnamese GP on the streets of Hanoi could still take place, with the city’s chairman Nguyen Duc Chung declaring this week: "Hopefully, the race can be resumed by the end of November."

Brazil’s Globo also reports that races in Mugello and Sochi are set to be confirmed officially by Formula 1 on Friday.

Canada, though, could be a different matter, with Le Journal de Montreal reporting rumours that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s place could be taken by Portimao, Portugal.