PARIS — Formula 1 will finally get underway with back-to-back races at the Austrian Grand Prix in July as part of an eight-race European swing.
The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg will host races on July 5 and 12, governing body FIA said Tuesday.
The next race will be in Hungary on July 19 followed by consecutive races at the British GP at Silverstone on Aug. 2 and 9 after the British government exempted elite sports from an upcoming quarantine on foreign visitors.
Further races are scheduled for Spain on Aug. 16 and Belgium on Aug. 30, with Italy completing the European swing on Sept. 6.
“Over the past two months Formula 1 has been working closely with all partners, authorities, the FIA and the 10 teams to create a revised calendar that will allow a return to racing in a way that is safe,” the FIA said. “Due to the ongoing fluidity of the COVID-19 situation internationally, the details of the wider calendar will be finalized in the coming weeks.”
There will be no spectators allowed to attend, although there may be later in the year if health conditions allow it.
Four races have been canceled this season because of the coronavirus pandemic — the season-opening Australian GP, the Monaco GP, the French GP and the Netherlands GP.
F1 hopes to hold 15 to 18 of the scheduled 22 races by rearranging the six that were postponed and finishing the season in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in December.
Notre Dame-Navy shifted from Ireland
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The college football season opener between Notre Dame and Navy has been moved out of Ireland because of the pandemic.
The Irish and Midshipmen were scheduled to meet in Dublin on Aug. 29, but will seek to play at the Naval Academy during the Labor Day weekend. The decision to move the venue came after discussions between the Irish government, medical authorities and the leadership teams at Navy and Notre Dame.
“Our priority must be ensuring the health and safety of all involved,” Navy athletics director Chet Gladchuk said. “I am expecting that we will still be able to play Notre Dame as our season opener, but there is still much to be determined by health officials.”
Notre Dame and Navy planned to stage the 94th consecutive installment of the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the United States at Aviva Stadium in Ireland. Instead, the schools will strive to play at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., on Sept. 5 or 6.
Hawaii player arrested in quarantine case
HONOLULU — A University of Hawaii football player was among those arrested on suspicion of violating a 14-day quarantine imposed on travelers to control the spread of the coronavirus, officials said.
The Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center said Venasio Vaipulu was arrested Monday by special agents from the attorney general’s office after a witness reported he had returned from a trip on May 18 but left his designated quarantine location almost every day.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had an attorney. A voicemail message left with the public defender’s office was not immediately returned. University of Hawaii spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said the school had no comment.
An emergency order issued by the governor requires that people arriving from out of state or traveling between islands stay in their lodgings for 14 days. They may leave only for medical emergencies.
Vaipulu is listed on the football team’s roster as Solo Vaipulu, a junior offensive lineman. Last year, he played in 10 games and started in nine.
Agents arrested Vaipulu on suspicion of a self-quarantine violation and unsworn falsification to authority. He was booked, charged and his bail was set at $4,000.
Elsewhere
South Carolina: Men’s basketball coach Frank Martin said he has recovered from a case of COVID-19.
Martin said he tested positive last month.
Martin, 54, said he didn’t have to go to the hospital. He said he had no significant symptoms of the virus other than some fatigue. Two weeks later at a follow-up visit, a coronavirus test came back negative. Martin said no one else in his family was affected by the virus.
Bowling Green: The Ohio school is working with alumni and former players to reinstate the Falcons’ baseball program.
The said on May 15 it was dropping baseball because of a projected $2 million athletic budget shortfall stemming from the pandemic. Cutting baseball was expected to save $500,000 a year. No other sports were eliminated.
N.C. State: Athletics director Boo Corrigan said the school has begun a schedule allowing student-athletes to return in phases to campus, with the first wave of football players permitted to return to student housing by June 20.
The school announced details of the plan Tuesday in an open letter from Corrigan, who said the plan is to return via “the safest and most responsible path moving forward.”
Corrigan said the first phase has started by allowing members of the football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball programs who live locally to receive examinations and coronavirus testing.
If cleared, athletes would be allowed to participate in voluntary workouts, though they would be divided into small groups.
The second phase begins with football players returning to student housing “no later than” June 20, followed by men’s and women’s basketball players.
The third phase would bring back athletes in fall sports, though Corrigan said only that will come “later this summer” with additional details coming later. The final phase is the return of all other programs ahead of the fall semester.