Formula 1: Latest start to the season in 54 years

“I don’t think anyone has ever experienced such a situation before,” said sports director Ross Brawn about the problems that Formula 1 has to deal with along with many other sports. The opening race planned for Sunday in Australia was canceled or postponed to an unknown time, as were the following events in Bahrain, Vietnam and China.

The race calendar, which originally grew to 22 Grands Prix, has shrunk significantly in view of the pandemic. According to the current state of affairs, 18 races are scheduled to take place this year. Less were last driven in 2009 when there were 17 World Cup races.

Zandvoort and Barcelona are also shaking

In the meantime, a World Cup start is planned for the end of May, so the races on May 3rd in the Netherlands and a week later in Spain shake. No wonder, because exclusion zones are currently being set up across Europe and mass events are prohibited.

The organizers of the race in Zandvoort, where a Grand Prix is ​​to take place for the first time since Niki Lauda’s victory in 1985, have announced that they are in exchange with the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the Formula 1 leadership about “possible consequences” for their race would stand. In the event of relocation, the tickets would remain valid, the Dutch tried to calm the fans down for the time being.

Start in Baku and race instead of summer break possible

The Monaco Grand Prix is ​​scheduled for May 24th. But it could even be that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on June 7 in Baku marks the starting shot. The Austrian GP in Spielberg is scheduled for July 5.

Given the delays, the teams could bring their summer break forward between the races in Hungary on August 2 and Belgium on August 30. In this phase, the postponed races could then be held. “We have several weekends where we can have a race,” Brawn said on Sky. In this way, despite the coronavirus crisis, one could build a “decent calendar” for the rest of the year. “He’ll look different, but he’ll get a decent number of races.”

“I think we can squeeze them in. But it depends on when the season will start, ”said the 65-year-old. In this context, Formula 1 is considering shortening Grand Prix events from three to two days and holding them on three consecutive weekends in August. “That could be an option,” Brawn said.

It’s also about a lot of money

“It is quite difficult to really predict the situation,” Formula 1 boss Chase Carey said of the daily news from politics and medicine, which are decisive if one has to decide whether to cancel a Grand Prix. Last but not least, it is also about liability issues – and thus about money. If, as in China, the government speaks out against a race, the organizer does not have to pay the lavish registration fee to Formula 1.

In Melbourne, Formula 1, FIA and the local organizer announced the end together. The organizer will definitely reimburse the cost of the tickets. Carey and Co. had only reacted to massive pressure from the teams. Liberty Media, the US owner of the motorsport king class, will only be able to present its top product again at the end of May at the earliest.

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