Bernie Ecclestone sees little hope of Formula 1 races taking place this year amid the coronavirus pandemic and would have abandoned the entire season if he was sti𝓡ll in charg🥂e.

The COVID-19 outbreak has already resulted in a delayed start to the 2020 campaign, witꦑh the opening eight races getting either postponed or cancelled.

F1 is now hopeful of getting the season underway at the Canadian Grand Prix on June 14, but there are growing doubts over whether the Montreal round can be staཧged.

Speaking exclusively to Reuters, Ecclestone said he cannot see any racing taking place until after July’s British Grand Prix at the earliest and suggested he would have൲ already called off the season in its entirety.

"Today what would I do? I think I'd have to say we're going to close down talk of hღaving any races this year,” the 89-year-old former F1 s𒐪upremo said.

"That's the only thing you co꧂uld do safely for everybody so nobody starts making silly arrangeme💧nts which may not be able to happen.

"It's unfortunate but that's how it is.”

Current F1 CEO Chase Carey recently stated the championship is aiming to hold at least 15-1💟8 races with the season getting started at “some point” during the summer months.

F1 teams have already agreed to bring forward the summer break to free up August to potentially reschedule those races which have been affected by the coronavir♉꧅us crisis.

Asked about Carey's target of arranging a calendar with 🦋15-18 races, Ecclestone said: "I'd be very, very, very surprised if they managed to achieve that.

"I hope they do. I really hope they do. They could run three or four races at th🍸e beginning of next year and still count to the 2020 champ♚ionship.

"The problem is where are you going to have them where the teams can go and the promoter wants to𒁏 run a race.

"It's all very well making the calendar, which you can do while🌸 you wait. The big problem is getting the promoters to want to run the race."