A minimum of eight races are required for the championship to be valid, but former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone believes that will not be possible.

Bernie Ecclestone, who revolutionised Formula One as chief executive from 1978 to 2017, has three adult daughters from two previous marriages.

The opening eight Grand Prixs of the 2020 season have been cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The season-opening Australian Grand Prix was scrapped at the last minute after a McLaren employee who had travelled to Melbourne tested positive for the virus.

Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said his idea was to bring the team's senior drivers, Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon, together with the junior drivers in a training camp.

Mercedes have reverse-engineered the device and say they can make them quickly "by the thousands".

The Formula One calendar has been thrown into turmoil due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Formula One chairman Chase Carey said he "fully expects" the 2020 season to start this summer with a revised calendar of "15-18 races" despite a raft of postponements due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The postponement of Azerbaijan Grand Prix means that the new season will now not start until at least June 14 with the Canada GP in Montreal.

Lewis Hamilton says he is self-isolating but will not get tested for coronavirus as others need attention more than him.

The Monaco GP, due to be held in the Principality on May 24, was axed completely while the Grand Prix in the Netherlands and Spain were postponed.

The triple postponements follow the cancellation of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last week, and the postponement of the Chinese, Bahrain and Vietnam Grand Prix races.

The Bahrain race was initially due to be held behind closed doors, but it was also shelved soon after the announcement from Vietnam.

The race was thrown into doubt on Thursday when McLaren pulled out after one of its team members tested positive for the virus and world champion Lewis Hamilton said he was stunned it was still going ahead.

McLaren withdrew from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after a team member tested positive for coronavirus.

Australian GP, the season-opening race in Melbourne, is set to proceed as planned this weekend despite mounting fears about the spread of coronavirus.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation boss Andrew Westacott ruled out any chance of the opening grand prix of the year taking place behind closed doors.

Last season, several teams expressed suspicions when Ferrari gained in straight-line speed.