Azerbaijan and Canada GPs inching closer to cancellation

The Azerbaijan and Canadian Grands Prix appear to be next in line to join Formula 1's call-off list, leaving France as the prospective starting point to the sport's disrupted 2020 season.

With the first seven scheduled races of the year ravaged by the global coronavirus crisis and falling to the wayside, Baku on June 7 was pinpointed as the venue set to open F1's truncated campaign.

But reports emerged on Sunday that it's only a matter of hours before the plug is pulled on the Azeri round.

Construction was set to begin on Baku's street circuit but the cloud of uncertainty hovering over Europe regarding the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the race's organisers to postpone their event and seek a potential replacement date later in the year.

Paul Ricard intends to press ahead with changes

Montreal, scheduled for June 14 - just a week after Baku, is theoretically next in line as F1's kickoff, but the North American race is believed to be hanging by a thread following Canada's decision late on Sunday to pull out of the 2020 Summer Olympics, still tentatively set to take place in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9.

Re-instating Baku and Montreal later in the year appears seemingly impossible given the congestion that will arise from the need to accommodate the previously postponed Vietnam, Dutch and Spanish rounds, Monaco having been permanently scrapped for 2020.

Paul Ricard is now seen as the next possible commencement point for the season, also France has a ban on holding public events, the term of which is currently indefinite.

"No one can plan three months in advance," admitted French GP director Eric Boullier. "Everyone is well aware that people currently have other concerns than attending a Formula 1 race.

"We are on stand-by because the absolute priority is safety. At least in the worst case [fans who have bought tickets] will be fully reimbursed."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.