Sunday's Formula 1 news roundup: Lewis Hamilton, Bernie Ecclestone, Alex Zanardi

Formula One has confirmed three more European races in 2020 after abandoning its American swing in Texas, Mexico, Brazil and Canada.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what is in store at Nurburgring (October 11), Portimao (October 25) and Imola (November 1).

Nurburgring

History

The Nurburgring was constructed in 1925 and became the main venue for the German Grand Prix in 1951.

Reigning world champion Niki Lauda – who had been concerned about the safety of the track – crashed and suffered serious burns there in 1976 and Nurburgring underwent significant safety improvements.

A new Grand Prix race track was built in 1984, with the complex capable of hosting 150,000 people. It returned to Formula One, hosting the European, German and even Luxembourg Grand Prix.

Track

Jackie Stewart nicknamed the old track 'The Green Hell', and its 14-mile length made it not only dangerous but impossible for broadcasters to cover the race effectively.

The new track was named GP-Strecke (Grand Prix Course) and built to meet the highest safety standards.

In 2002, the former "Castrol-chicane" at the end of the start/finish straight was replaced with a sharp right-hander ("Haug-Hook") in order to create an overtaking opportunity. A slow Omega-shaped section was also inserted to extend the track from 2.80 to 3.23 miles.

Future

Nurburgring already hosts a variety of motorsport events, from the world rallycross championship to truck racing events.

But being back in the Formula One spotlight after a seven-year absence could provide the Nurburgring with a new lease of life.

The German Grand Prix there in 2015 and 2017 was cancelled as Nurburgring's new owners were unable to secure a deal, but this could be the first step to winning a regular place on the calendar.

Portimao

History

The 100,000-capacity Algarve International Circuit was finished in October 2008 at a cost of 195 million euros.

The project included a karting track, technology park, five-star hotel, sports complex and apartments, and in 2010 Formula One teams agreed to add Portimao to the testing roster.

Portimao has held events ranging from the final round of the World Superbikes Championship to GP2 series events, but a Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix has not been held since 1996.

Track

Portimao resembles the old Nurburgring and the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium due to its constantly undulating nature.

The different layout combinations allow for faster, challenging versions or slower, more technical ones.

The track can encourage overtaking because of its width and should make for exciting racing.

Future

Portimao was only upgraded to an FIA Grade 1 licence required to host a Formula One race in April.

But the coronavirus pandemic – with more races being held in Europe – has provided an unexpected opportunity.

Portimao seems determined to grasp it, as well as being a regular venue for motorcycle events.

Imola

History

San Marino venue Imola – which is named after Ferrari's late founder, Enzo Ferrari, and his son Alfredo – was inaugurated in 1953 and is synonymous with the death of triple world champion Ayrton Senna in 1994.

Senna was killed at the flat-out Tamburello corner, the day after Austrian Roland Ratzenberger crashed into a wall and was killed during Saturday qualifying.

Track modifications were made to make Imola safer, but the Grand Prix was removed from the calendar ahead of the 2007 season.

Track

After Senna's death, the Tamburello corner was reduced to a fourth gear left-right sweeper, and a gravel trap was added on the outside of the corner.

The track – one of the few circuits to run in an anti-clockwise direction – has undergone major work since 2007 and its exile from Formula One.

A bypass to the Variante Bassa chicane was added for cars, making the run from Rivazza 2 to the first Tamburello chicane totally flat-out.

The old pit garages and paddock have been demolished and completely rebuilt while the pit lane was extended and resurfaced.

Imola's owners confirmed they were in talks to return to the Formula One calendar should Monza pull out back in June 2015.

That did not happen and Formula One agreed a five-year deal in 2019 to keep the Italian GP at Monza.

But in February 2020, Imola's owners submitted a bid to replace the 2020 Chinese Grand Prix – pending its cancellation as a precaution in the face of the coronavirus pandemic – in another sign of their determination to return to the Formula One calendar.

The Premier League and English Football League have announced their 2020-21 seasons will begin on September 12.

Meanwhile, Formula One has added three more European races in Germany, San Marino and Portugal after abandoning its American swing of the 2020 calendar, with four races in Texas, Mexico, Brazil and Canada all cancelled.

Here, the PA news agency takes a sport-by-sport look at how the calendar is shaping up.

Football

The Championship season came to a close on Wednesday night with none of the clubs knowing exactly when they would kick off again, but Premier League clubs will go into their own final round of fixtures this weekend with dates in the diary beyond Sunday.

A compressed season will kick off on September 12, with the Premier League drawing to a close on May 23 and the Championship's regular season due to conclude on May 9 before play-offs later in the month. The dates for domestic cup competitions are yet to be determined.

With no fans allowed in stadiums before October 1 at the earliest, it means the season will begin behind closed doors.

The new kick-off date means the final week of pre-season will be an international window, while it comes only three weeks after the scheduled Champions League final, in which Manchester City and Chelsea could yet be involved.

Formula One

Formula One has abandoned hopes of racing in the Americas in 2020, with four races in Texas, Mexico, Brazil and Canada all cancelled.

Instead, three further European races have been added at the Nurburgring, Imola and Portimao. Imola, synonymous with the death of triple world champion Ayrton Senna in 1994, will host a race on November 1, its first Grand Prix since 2006.

The race at Portimao will be the track's maiden grand prix and the first in Portugal since 1996.

Thirteen races have been announced so far, all in Europe, though three consecutive rounds in the Middle East are expected to be confirmed – with Bahrain to host two races before the Abu Dhabi season closer in December.

There remains hope a maiden race in Vietnam's capital Hanoi can be arranged for mid-November.

Golf

This year's Ryder Cup, scheduled for Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, has been postponed until 2021 due to the extent of the coronavirus crisis in the United States.

The Open has been cancelled for the first time since 1945, but the US Open and the Masters are still scheduled to take place in September and November respectively, with the year's first major the US PGA Championship being staged in San Francisco in early August.

The PGA Tour resumed in the US but a number of players withdrew from its events citing health concerns, and initial plans to allow some spectators at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio were scrapped.

The European Tour resumed on July 9 with the Austrian Open, prior to a six-tournament 'UK Swing' behind closed doors.

Cricket

The Men's T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in Australia in October and November, was postponed – however, there is action.

England's delayed three-Test series against the West Indies is being played, amid strictly regulated and 'bio-secure' environments. Ireland will then play three one-day internationals in England between July 30 and August 4, before Pakistan provide Test and ODI opposition in August and September.

County cricket was given the go-ahead to start on August 1 by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Rugby union

The Gallagher Premiership restarts the 2019-20 season on August 14. There have been no matches played since March but clubs have resumed training. The competition will adopt the rule changes recommended by World Rugby to lower the risk of viral transmission.

The paused Six Nations is due to resume in October and conclude on the 31st, with the autumn internationals still slated for November.

The British and Irish Lions' tour to South Africa next summer is to go ahead as scheduled.

Rugby league

Toronto Wolfpack have withdrawn from the remainder of the 2020 Super League season, citing the "overwhelming financial challenges" of the coronavirus crisis. Their results to this point have now been expunged from the records.

The action resumes on August 2 at Headingley – with games being played at a small number of neutral grounds.

The Canadian side were meant to be facing Hull KR but Monday's news means St Helens and Catalans Dragons get the action under way, before Huddersfield take on Leeds.

The clubs have agreed to a reduced competition, with a Grand Final taking place in November.

Tennis

There are question marks over the US Open after the cancellation of the Citi Open in Washington DC, which was due to begin on August 13.

The US Open is due to begin in New York on August 31, but there is now only one tournament – the Western & Southern Open at the same site on August 20 – scheduled before it takes place, and the ATP has said it is in close contact with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) over both events.

Leading players including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have expressed doubts over playing at Flushing Meadows, though Serena Williams has committed to taking part.

Cycling

A revised schedule for the UCI World Tour takes place from August 1, with 25 events planned. The Tour de France will take place with an altered route starting on August 29 and concluding on September 20, while the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana will overlap in October.

A number of smaller races are beginning this month, with Team Ineos returning to action at the Vuelta Burgos which starts on July 28.

Snooker

The snooker season resumed with behind-closed-doors tournaments in Milton Keynes. The rearranged World Championships will start at the Crucible on July 31 and is due to be a test event for the presence of spectators.