15:58 – Next weekend, the time has finally come: the start of the 2020 Formula 1 season. After the first ten races on the calendar have been canceled, the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg will be the backdrop for the first showdown of the year. GPUpdate.net looks ahead to a very special Austrian Grand Prix.
Actually, the Formula 1 championship should have started on March 15 in Australia, but the corona virus put a stop to it at the last minute. Then came an uncertain period for the royal class of motorsport. For a long time it was not clear when it was possible to race again. One race appointment after another disappeared from the F1 calendar, including the first Dutch Grand Prix since 1985 on the newly renovated Circuit Zandvoort. For the teams, which depend on the games for their income, an unsustainable situation was imminent. What if there was no race at all in 2020? Could teams disappear from the grid as a result of the corona crisis? Formula 1 came to the rescue with a package of cost-cutting measures. For example, the introduction of a completely new car has been postponed by one year to 2022, and a budget ceiling will apply from next year that is lower than originally thought.
In the meantime it slowly became clear that the F1 season could start in Austria. It was one of the first countries in Europe to start relaxing the corona measures there. The Austrian government was also charmed by the idea of providing the season opener in Formula 1. Soon the idea arose to organize not one but two races on the Red Bull Ring, in order to have some races on the counter, in the hope that with fifteen to eighteen races there will still be a nice championship. But an important condition here was of course that no risks would be taken with regard to public health. And so Formula 1 came up with a detailed plan to ensure that the chances of new COVID-19 infections due to the arrival of the royal class are virtually nil. The government agreed, with which the start of the season in Austria was a fact. Shortly after, Formula 1 came with a revised calendar that included eight races in Europe and the double season overture in the Alpine country was official.
Due to the corona protocols that Formula 1 has instituted, the Austrian Grand Prix and the Styrian Grand Prix, as the second race was christened on the Red Bull Ring, are certainly no ordinary events. In the first place, the fans – and therefore also the orange legion – are missing in Spielberg. The race takes place behind closed doors, so without an audience. Formula 1 continues to travel to the circuit with as few personnel as possible and stays there once in its own bubble, with as little contact as possible with the outside world. In addition, each team forms its own bubble to prevent the virus from spreading in the paddock in the event of an infection. Positive coronation cases are immediately isolated, after which a special app can be used to trace who that person has been in contact with, so that they too can be quarantined. Furthermore, there are no motorhomes on the track and face masks and face shields are worn in the garages. It will take some getting used to for everyone, but the most important thing is: there will be racing again! GPUpdate.net This year looks ahead to every race with five things to look forward to:
1. Finally real action
Formula 1 may have hosted virtual Grands Prix in recent months, nothing beats the real thing. The jitters in the belly in the run-up to a race weekend, the wonderful feeling when the cars first enter the track on Friday morning and the first fast times are clocked, the tension during qualifying when the smallest mistake is immediately punished and the full Sunday afternoon dedicated to the Grand Prix. That’s a bit different with sim racing – no matter how entertaining it can be to watch. For George Russell it will be a little while to adjust. The Williams driver crowned himself a virtual Formula 1 champion during the raceless period, but will have to settle for slightly less results on the real track.
2. Verstappen goes for Austrian hat trick (and the title)
Before the corona misery, there was really only one question that occupied Formula 1-loving Netherlands: can Max Verstappen go for the world title in 2020? This weekend we will get a first indication of what is possible for the Limburger this year. Everyone seems to agree on one thing: Verstappen himself is ready, he only needs a car to be able to get the job done. Red Bull made a great impression during the winter tests in Barcelona – they seem like centuries ago. The Honda engine turned out to be reliable, which meant that a lot could be driven. How the speed of the RB16 compares to the rest, we will see in qualifying on Saturday. The team from Milton Keynes has already made several updates to the car, despite the fact that the factories have to be closed, as shown during last week’s film day, but the same applies to Mercedes and Ferrari. In any case, Verstappen knows what to do with the Red Bull Ring: he won there in the past two years.
3. Potential surprises
The drivers start a championship on Friday without knowing how many laps it will consist of. The first eight races are fixed and there will almost certainly be a few more races in the Middle East at the end of the year, but what is going to happen in between is as yet unclear. The question is what impact this will have on how the drivers approach the season. It may be that the drivers who go for the championship take a little less risk and want to secure points in the first place. In a short season, one or two DNFs can be enough to destroy your title ambitions. When certain drivers do indeed drive more reserved, opportunities may arise for drivers who have to make do with slightly less material but are willing to take a lot of risk. In addition, especially in the first races, there may be teams that struggle with the corona protocols and as a result drop out. So in the near future we may see a little more often drivers who do not represent the top three teams in the honor podium.
4. Ferrari duo crosses swords again
It was on the track last year every now and then quite violent between the Ferrari drivers. It is possible that this competition will become even brighter next season, because it is now clear that Sebastian Vettel will leave the Scuderia at the end of the year. If the four-time world champion struggled last year, if not simply, for his younger stable mate when asked by the team, this year he will completely dislike such a request. Moreover, it is not yet clear whether the German will stop or continue with another team in Formula 1 after this year. If he has already decided for himself that he will hang his helmet on the willows, he will certainly want to do it again in 2020. pop. One thing is certain: Vettel should not expect farewell presents from Charles Leclerc.
5. F1 takes position
Sports and politics do not go together, is an old, but certainly not undisputed adage. In recent weeks, however, Formula 1 has emphatically chosen not to close its eyes to what is happening elsewhere in the world. Led by six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the king carefully dips his toes in the anti-racism debate. Formula 1 recently launched the # WeRaceAsOne campaign. On the one hand to thank everyone who committed to the fight against corona, on the other hand to take a stand against racism and discrimination, and to pursue greater equality and diversity in Formula 1. As part of the campaign, Formula 1 cars will feature a rainbow this year and a special task force will be created. It remains to be seen what this will yield in concrete terms, but the fact that Formula 1 is involved in such a discussion is already a big step for this sport. Hamilton, meanwhile, continues to stir on social media, while his team Mercedes has switched to a black livery before the start of the season to send a signal, which in any case puts the topic prominently on the agenda. It will be interesting to see to what extent this is further expressed during the race weekend.
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