For the moment, the F1 calendar for the 2020 season has eight Grands Prix, all in Europe between the beginning of July and the beginning of September, but the major discipline hopes to add between seven and ten additional events by the end of December even if the difficulty lies in the organization of races outside Europe, while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to progress. To date, the Italian GP of September 6 is the last event announced, but circuits like Imola, Mugello, Portimão or Hockenheim could lengthen the European season.
Speaking as part of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation’s In the Fast Lane podcast, Daniel Ricciardo for his part estimated that the ideal figure for considering the season as “legitimate” and having an undeniable World Champion would be ten innings. “For now, I would say it is legitimate”, said the Renault driver.
“If we only did four or five races, yes, maybe that would not be the case. But if we start from ten, there would be enough races to know who the Champion is, in my opinion . Obviously, the atmosphere will be different in the paddock without the fans, at least for the first part of the season, but the reality is that we will all run. The same drivers, the same cars. For me, the competition is not going to change. “
Although he is enthusiastic about the idea of resuming racing after an exceptionally long off-season, Ricciardo explained, however, that there was one thing he was not looking forward to and which, however, will have to be he complies: the continuation of tests by nasal swab by swab as part of the measures taken in the fight against COVID-19.
“One thing I’m sure of, because I’ve already experienced it, is the set of COVID tests with the nasal swab … it’s not fun. And we will probably have to do it again 30 times this year. I didn’t like it at all. I know it will happen, and it’s clearly not something I look forward to. “
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