4 minutes ago
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Formula 1 chiefs are weighing up the possibility of starting the 2021 season with a double-header in Bahrain if the coronavirus situation scuppers plans for a race in Portugal.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/15...uese-gp-backup
The current schedule is for the season to start in Bahrain on 28 March, with a race at Imola scheduled to follow on 18 April.
That would then be followed by a race on 2 May which was at a venue yet to be confirmed, but was widely expected to take place at Portimao in Portugal.
However, hopes of that happening are fading with the country facing a fresh coronavirus outbreak amid growing concerns in Europe over the spread of variant strains of the disease.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is due to hold lengthy talks with various race promoters over the next few days to try to better gauge the situation before making a decision about how the season will start.
While he is hopeful that the current dates can still work, and he is adamant Imola is not under threat, Domenicali has said that contingency plans are ready to be rolled out if necessary.