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Plooij compliments organisation Dutch GP after cancellation: "Take my hat off"
- GPblog.com
Formula 1 has been at a standstill for some time because of the coronavirus and of the 22 Grands Prix in total, nine cannot go ahead on the originally planned date. When the Formula 1 season can actually start is not yet clear, but it is clear that it will be a tough job for the organisation of the royal class of motorsport to come to a new calendar. If it's up to Jack Plooij we'll have to wait a bit longer to be able to drive with an audience, he says in part 3 of the interview with GPBlog.
Plooij would hate GP's without fans
"No, that's awful. Without an audience I don't think it will be good, Plooij reacts when GPBlog asks him if he would like a Grand Prix without fans. However, according to the Ziggo sports reporter it is a serious option. "Yes, because they are thinking about doing so. At first they wanted to do that in Baku, but there's no one there so it doesn't matter. But jeez, I don't really like it at all. But if we can save the championship with that, maybe we should do it", Plooij muses.
The pit reporter finds it difficult to indicate with how many races we can play of a full championship. "That's very difficult of course, because according to the regulations you only need eight. That's a bit skinny of course". Plooij prefers to see double that number. "That's all possible, but then we have to continue until January/February and then start the new season in March. That could also be an option".
Liberty Media wants peace and quiet in the tent
One possibility is to overtake the cancelled Grands Prix of Bahrain, China and Vietnam in January. "It may be nice weather there, but I have no idea if they see that as an option. There are so many pots of money that play a role in this. The promoters, the FOM, the local authorities... so many agendas have to be aligned. I think that Chase Carey (CEO Liberty Media, ed.) has now said: 'Let's first make sure the plug is pulled out of the panic'. However, everyone wants to make plans, of course. For the time being, it's going to rain on rumors. I hope that we get races in the summer, with public and then we will run until January/February".
The Dutch Grand Prix returns to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 1985. The GP-weekend was originally to take place from 1 to 3 May, but Circuit Zandvoort, together with FOM and all the others involved, will also have to come to a new date. Plooij hopes that in any case everything will be done to avoid empty dunes. "No, that doesn't look like it. You don't want that, without an audience. We'll do it for the fans anyway. The fans determine the atmosphere with which they race, the bustle on the boulevard and they give money back to the local economy".
Compliments for organisation Zandvoort
The organization of the DutchGP can in any case count on the compliments of Plooij. "The promoters have promised all fans that their ticket will remain valid and Zandvoort has done that very cleverly with Robert van Overdijk (director Zandvoort) by saying that the ticket will also be valid in 2021 if the Grand Prix can't be caught up. I take my hat off to that. It provides peace and quiet for the fans", he concludes.