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Formula 1 starts with a five step plan against the coronavirus

2 June 2020 at 11:53
  • GPblog.com

The counter can now officially expire, as the official Formula 1 calendar for 2020 has been presented. The circus will start with two races in Austria, but what will Formula 1 look like with all those measures? F1 has set up a five-step plan for this.

Keep testing

The great example for Formula 1 is of course the football competition started in Germany. In the Bundesliga, the stands are still empty, players with mouth caps are sitting in front and players are still being tested for the coronavirus. Formula 1 will also take over this example, with a number of important steps.

First of all, Formula 1 indicates that they will continue to test continuously. This means that all drivers, but also all staff members and attendees will be continuously tested for the virus, so that a possible infection can be isolated immediately. A driver who becomes infected will therefore have a major impact on the championship.

Closed events

Besides testing, the events will remain closed for the time being. Where there was hope that some fans could still be present at a number of events, F1 has chosen for the time being to keep the fans out of the races. Only essential staff will be present at the upcoming races.

Still, the statement of F1 does not exclude it completely. Formula 1 states that it 'does not expect' to open up races to the public. It is therefore not entirely excluded that fans will be present, but for the first few races it is in any case not plausible.

Minimum number of staff

In addition to the lack of fans, the teams will also have to travel to the circuit with as few staff as possible. Where the motorhomes are normally loaded with different engineers and mechanics, this will not be the case now. Teams are limited in the number of people they can take with them.

Formula 1 does not yet state the exact number of people, but previous sources reported that teams are allowed to bring a maximum of 60 executive staff members, in addition to 20 non-executive staff members.

Isolated travel

From and to the Grands Prix there will also be some changes. The teams will fly to the races separated from each other, so there can be no contamination between the teams. Besides flying to and from races, the teams will also be separated from each other on the paddock. Flying will also be done with cargo flights and not normal flights so there will be no contact with other people.

Social distancing

Last but not least, social distancing will be taken into account as much as possible. For example, Formula 1 chooses to have the preparation for a race and the afterthought of a race run differently. Where normally there is time for a party and several interviews, this will be done differently in 2020.