Formula 1 has discussed the possibility of getting the delayed 2020 season underway with the Austrian Grand Prix in July followed𝓀 by a double-header event at Silverstone.

F1 officials and teams came together in a virtual meeting on Thursday to thrash out the latest plans to get the season started after the opening nine races were all postponed or cancelled aꦿs a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

According to a , F1’s latest solution is to take advantag🌊e of the recent easing of lockdown restrictions in Austria by staging the July 5 race as planned but as a closed-door event without spectators.

After starting the season in A🥀ustria, F1 could then head to the UK for a run of at least two races at Silverstone, which is due to hold the British Grand Prix on July 19.

Race organisers have set an end-of-April deadline to m🍃ake a final decision over the fate of this year’s British Grand Prix, hꦇowever circuit bosses say they are willing to be flexible in terms of a date and over how many races it could host.

On Thursday, the UK government announced a three-week extension to its social distancing an🎀d lockdown measures, while Austria has become one of the first European countries to lift some of its restrictions.&nb🅘sp;

The French Grand Prix at Paul Rica༺rd - scheduled for June 28 - is increasingly likely to become the 10th race to be affected by the gl🧜obal COVID-19 crisis after France extended its lockdown and banned mass gatherings until mid-July. 

That has shifted F1’s focus onto𒁏 Austria becoming the potential season🐓-opener at the Red Bull-owned Spielberg track.

Earlier this week, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirm♛ed to Sky Sports that the notion was being discussed and personally backed the idea.

"The Red Bull Ring is𓆉 a ready-made facility, it can be ready in a very short period of time to fit the FIA's criteria," Horner said.

"The prospect of being able to run a race behind closed doors is absolutel🌱y feasible.

"It's something that Austria [promoters] and Red Bull are looking at but of course they've got to work with ꦏthe local authorities and governments. And ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚso at the moment it's just under discussion.”

Proposals to reduce F1’s budget cap to €130 (£104.6m) by 2022 were also discussed in the meeting o🐻n Thursday as the sport continues to assess ways to lower costs.

While there was no firm agreement on theꦺ budget cap, it is understood that discussions were viewed as constructive by all involved.

An aerodynamic handicapping system that would allow teams who finished at the bottom of the championship the most aerodynamic research for the following year and the tea🌊m who finished first doing the least was also considered by the teams.

McLaren boss Andreas Seidl wa𒁃rned the ongoing coronavirus crisis is the “final wake-up call” for F1 to act 🅰and trigger changes to make the sport more sustaina🔯ble and allow teams to survive.

Action has already been taking in a bid to ease the financial strain placed on teams during the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with the introduction of major technical rules being pushed back by a year until 2022 and teams agr♛eeing to race with the same c𒉰ars in 2021.

A♌ll 10 F1 teams are also currently observing an extended mandatory shutdown period having agreed to bring forward the summer break from its traditional August slot to the sp🐻ring amid the current hiatus.