The Canadian Grand Prix was the ninth Formula 1 race this season to be postponed or cancelled as the Coronavirus pandemic leaves the sport i...
The Canadian Grand Prix was the ninth Formula 1 race this season to be postponed or cancelled as the Coronavirus pandemic leaves the sport in the doldrums. The 2020 F1 season has been heavily impacted by the crisis and organisers are having at options to conduct races, albeit with little help. However, F1 boss Ross Brawn says that the 2020 season will most likely begin in Europe and is likely to get underway without any spectators. The decision could emerge in the wake of the lockdown, while allowing the organisers to continue broadcasting the races on TV and digital platforms. F1 recently postponed plans to start the season by five weeks are now looking at July to begin the races.
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F1 boss Ross Brawn said that the maximum they can extend the break is up to October
Speaking to Sky Sports about holding races behind closed door, Ross Brawn said, "Travel for the teams and travel for everyone involved is going to be one of the big issues. You could argue once we get there we could become fairly self-contained. Our view is probably a European start will be favourable and that could even be a closed event. We could have a very enclosed environment, where teams come in on charters, we channel them into the circuit, we make sure everyone is tested, cleared and that there is no risk to anyone."
The F1 calendar has seen multiple revisions so far since the start of the year. While the Australian GP was cancelled at the last hour, the Bahrain GP was expected to go ahead and become the first race to happen without any spectators. However, travel restrictions imposed by Bahrain and subsequently other countries have forced organisers to reschedule races. For now, the FIA and the F1 have decided to use the three-week break later this year to hold races, and make up for the lost time. Moreover, F1 has confirmed that the season will extend beyond November this year
Adding further, Brawn said, "We have a race with no spectators. That's not great, but it's better than no racing at all. We have to remember there are millions of people who follow the sport sat at home. A lot of them are isolating and to be able to keep the sport alive and put on a sport and entertain people would be a huge bonus in this crisis we have. But we can't put anyone at risk. We're looking at the organisational structure which would give us the earliest start. But also, the ability to maintain that start. There's no point having a start and then stopping again for a while. It's most likely to be in Europe. It's conceivable that it could be a closed event."
Formula 1 needs a minimum of eight races to hold a world championship according to the FIA statutes. Brawn said that they can have a minimum of eight races even if they start by October, a minimum of eight races can still fit by the end of the year. However, a July start will allow to season to have about 18-19 races (with or without spectators) with a series of triple headers followed by a weekend off. There is a possibility that the 2020 season could extend till next year.
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"Eight races is the minimum we can have a world championship, [according to] the FIA Statutes," said Brawn. "We could achieve eight races by starting in October. So if you wanted a drop dead point it would be October."
F1 organisers are also looking at a number of two-day grand prix events to ease off the pressure on the calendar this season. The FIA and F1 bosses have already announced that the 2021 regulations have already been pushed by a year while the teams have also agreed to budget cuts for the future, down from $175 million to $150 million. Few teams have further approached the FIA to cut the budgets further to $125 million, something that's not gone down well with the constructors.
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