0:49 F1 chief Chase Carey has defended the late decision to cancel the Australian Grand Prix, due to the coronavirus outbreak
Could more races be affected?
Almost certainly. When confirming the postponements of the races in Bahrain and Vietnam, F1 said they expected the season to start at the end of May. That leaves the Dutch-Spanish double-header – currently stated to kick-off the campaign at the beginning of May – in serious doubt. Race officials from those Grands Prix have said they remain in contact with F1 and are prepared for changes.
Those are the next announcements expected, but there could be many more.
So when could the season start?
In truth, nobody knows at the moment.
Any changes to the races in Zandvoort and Barcelona would theoretically make the Monaco GP – traditionally held at the end of May – the first 2020 race, but Monaco is currently in lockdown with restaurants, cafes, casinos and much more closed for the foreseeable future.
If the European races are scrapped, the season could start in Azerbaijan on June 7 – although there are concerns about that race, too. The Canadian GP immediately follows the Baku event on the current calendar.
“We recognise everyone wants to know what comes next for Formula 1 in 2020,” said F1 chairman Chase Carey in a statement on Tuesday. “We cannot provide specific answers today given the fluidity of the situation.
“However, we plan to get the 2020 championship season underway as soon as it’s safe to do so. We are engaging with experts and officials on a daily basis as we evaluate how we go forward in the next few months.”
What has F1 said so far?
While F1 are understandably cautious when it comes to giving any timeline, they have revealed some ideas for what the calendar could look like if the season does start before the summer. They are keen to fit as many as the postponed races as possible back into the 2020 schedule, and Ross Brawn says the four-week August summer break could be scrapped to give the sport a chance to “squeeze” in more Grands Prix.
2:46 F1’s managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn speaks to Sky F1’s Martin Brundle about how they will reschedule races amid the coronavirus outbreak
“I think by freeing up the August break, we give ourselves several weekends where we can have a race,” Brawn, F1’s managing director of motorsports, told Sky Sports F1.
“I’m pretty optimistic that we can have a good 17-18 race championship or more.”
Brawn added that F1 are considering two-day weekends so that the events and shorter and triple headers could then be feasible.
F1 could also extend the calendar if needs be. The season is due to finish in Abu Dhabi on November 29, though that could – in theory – be pushed back to allow other races back in, should the climate be warm enough!
What are the teams up to?
For now, most of them are back in the factory – presumably working on their 2020 car or even looking ahead to 2021. The exception are Ferrari, whose Maranello headquarters are currently shut down. The Italian firm has suspended production at its car and F1 factories until March 27.
McLaren, meanwhile, still have 15 of their team – including one who tested positive for coronavirus – in quarantine in Melbourne. The remainder of the race team who travelled to Australia are staying away from their Woking HQ for two weeks on precautionary grounds, as is the case at other teams.
The Woking outfit offered an update earlier this week, stating that the team member who had contracted the virus was “recovering well” and is now showing no symptoms.
What are the drivers up to?
Unsurprisingly, the drivers – most of them home-bound – are trying to stay as fit as possible by continuing the training that got them in shape for the new season, with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc even trying out surfing.
Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, will remain in self-isolation, despite his test for coronavirus coming back negative.
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris showed off their skills against other professional racers, ex-F1 and eSports, in an online Grand Prix on Sunday – when they were supposed to be on-track in Melbourne.
Sourse: skysports.com
