Does Formula 1 need to race without an audience?

Formula 1 circus

The coronavirus is still spreading rapidly all over the world making it impossible to travel between different countries. It can go in the right direction in your country, but not necessarily in the country you want to go to. This makes the situation very difficult and specific for a sport like Formula 1.

Formula 1 is a travelling circus of many people who have to travel from country to country to practice the sport. It takes place at a fixed location in a country, but all employees are spread out over several hotels in the city, several planes to the country and then a lot of work is needed prior to a Grand Prix.

Social Distancing

That alone ensures that F1 can't just start, because a lot of people are already needed to get the sport going and then 'social distancing' becomes a lot more difficult. So it is already questionable to what extent F1 would be wise when it wants to start again, because it entails a lot of logistical problems.

Suppose we can travel again, but we still have to pay attention to social distancing for a longer period of time. Then Formula 1 could choose to let the sport continue, but without an audience. The public would never be able to comply with the rules surrounding the corona virus in the cramped grandstands and would only increase the chance of infection again, and then we would be further from home.

By travelling without fans and perhaps a limited amount of staff, Formula 1 could start earlier. If it can keep the 'social distancing' with these measures, then the sport should be able to be practiced more quickly and the fans will be able to get back on television en masse.

Sport is entertainment

It seems to be the only way to create another fully-fledged Formula 1 season in 2020, with already nine postponed races. However, there is one 'but': Is racing without an audience worth it. Like many other sports, F1 was born as entertainment. Watching the action on the track and the tough men who risked their lives for honour and glory. Doesn't that take away the essence of the sport?

Of course this is an important question to ask, but in this case time costs a lot of money. The F1 teams will fall over if it's not possible to race quickly and then we'll be even further away from home in the future. An F1 with only four teams in no more entertainment. With all the possibilities to experience a sport at home these days, you can already call it an important part of the entertainment and thus still meet the core of the sport.

What do you think? In the reactions below, let us know what you think F1 should do? Should the F1 season be cancelled altogether, should we only race when we can with an audience or should we start racing immediately when we can and then without an audience?