In the round-up: Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle says he’s seen encouraging signs from the government that the British Grand Prix will be able to go ahead behind closed cdoors.
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) April 27, 2020
Statement from ITR Chairman Gerhard Berger: pic.twitter.com/kEMJbrLZE7
— DTM (@DTM) April 27, 2020
Audi announcement leaving DTM is extremely sad and I really feel for all my team mates and all motorsport lovers.
We are living in unprecedented difficult times for motorsport professionals and I wouldn’t be surprised other manufacturers will have similar strategies moving fwd.
— LUCAS DI GRASSI (@LucasdiGrassi) April 27, 2020
Plans for a revised #F1 season seem incredibly optimistic to me. Even if sport owners are subsidising the race tracks, having the behind closed doors removes most of the economic benefits to the host nation. Why would govts cooperate.
— Just Mick (@Stressed_Eric72) April 27, 2020
If F1 is able to do something in 2020, I think it would be best cancelling street circuits and prioritising actual racetracks as these would be easiest to stage behind closed doors and at quickfire notice. Though I think its only Singapore (and tech Sochi) left
— Charles Crook (@chlcrk) April 27, 2020
Really wish I’d bloody gone to testing now 😒 #F1
— Hope✨ (@F1Hopeless) April 27, 2020
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Links
More motor racing links of interest:
"It was very encouraging that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport over the weekend indicated that they are keen to start a dialogue between medical officials and people in sport to see what might need to be to achieve that. We're working together with Formula 1, DCMS and the medical officials to see how we can do that for some sort of British Grand Prix behind closed doors."
F1 set to bankroll British Grand Prix to follow season opener in Austria (The Guardian)
"We are very confident we can ride this out, it’s just going to set us back."
Catalunya circuit open to hosting summer Spanish GP (Autosport)
"They asked us if there is any date which is not possible for us, and we said 'no'."
Ganassi taps Matt Kenseth to drive number 42 for rest of the 2020 season (NASCAR)
"The move comes after Ganassi ended its relationship with Kyle Larson following Larson’s use of a racial slur on a live stream during an iRacing event April 12. Larson, who had been under contract with the team since 2013, is indefinitely suspended from NASCAR, and reinstatement will only be evaluated after completion of mandatory sensitivity training."
TOCA issues revised 2020 BTCC calendar (BTCC)
"The revised season is now scheduled to start on 1/2 August at Donington Park, which begins a run of four events in just five weekends, with Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Knockhill completing the opening month of action."
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Comment of the day
We all want F1 back, but is it practical to resume racing behind closed doors?
I have no idea how a race team can maintain social distancing and still function at a Grand Prix. Especially when they are commuting to a different country to do their job.
Steven Robertson (@Emu55)
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On this day in F1
- 35 years ago today Manfred Winkelhock and Marc Surer won the World Endurance Championship race at Monza which was shortened from its 1,000km distance after a tree fell and blocked the circuit. Surer featured in a recent instalment of My F1 Cars on RaceFans.
X1Znet (@x1znet)
28th April 2020, 0:20
I hope there are Drive to Survive cameras in the FOM and Liberty Media offices to capture the intense negotiations that have to take place with each venue promoter and backers in order to get races happening.
@HoHum (@hohum)
28th April 2020, 0:23
Whatever the decision on the British GP, I forsee great difficulties if the teams have to self quarantine for 14 days after returning from Austria.
Antz (@antznz)
28th April 2020, 4:25
@hohum yes I saw that teams are required to self isolate for 14 days on arrival to Austria as part of the agreement to race there. I expect this will be standard for most countries, so its possible that if the British GP goes ahead, that the date will have to be pushed back. I’d be very surprised if countries didn’t enforce isolation on arrival at this time.
BasCB (@bascb)
28th April 2020, 8:10
Most of these 14 day quarantines can be sidestepped by (repeated?) tests to detect people having the virus @hohum, @antznz.
I have been looking into this because I am preparing how to travel for business in the next few weeks, and it seems that I face a 14 day quarantine at both sides for some countries. But that can be solved with a test to get into a different country AND back home. So either I take a test and get back within about 3-4 days. Or take two tests.
Also, I figure that keeping in a tightly guarded quarantine for the 14 days prior to Austria and then travelling in a way to make it relatively unlikely they meet anyone else on the way to Britain might be enough to get clearance to not have to take the same precaution ahead of the UK race. Possibly with everybody tested sometime along the ride, or even multiple times.
@HoHum (@hohum)
28th April 2020, 13:53
Thanks for the info @bascb.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
28th April 2020, 1:51
Wouldn’t it be better to have the British GP as the first race of the season? 7 of the teams are based there, meaning only three teams need to travel. The French GP has been cancelled, but that would give just a week to get ready for going to Austria, so maybe using the weekend in which the Canadian GP were scheduled to run. That would give the teams 3 weeks break before the Austrian GP if there was a need to quarantine anyone.
Antz (@antznz)
28th April 2020, 4:28
@drycrust makes sense. Austria has said there will be a 14 day self isolation period prior to the race. So seems like 3 weeks between events at different circuits may be mandatory.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th April 2020, 7:32
@drycrust If it isn’t possible to have the Canadian GP on June 14 then British GP wouldn’t be any more viable for that day.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
28th April 2020, 4:54
What the hell is that tweet about? “Really wish I’d gone to testing right now”???
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th April 2020, 5:10
@fer-no65 – I think she intended to go for the races and skipped F1 testing, and F1 withdrawal is making her regret that decision. Not sure if she’s just a fan, or represents something larger.
I realized just how much the current pandemic has affected my thinking when I first read her tweet – I thought the “testing” referred to was a COVID-19 test.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
28th April 2020, 7:21
@phylyp aaaaah, I see… makes sense, I guess.
It was 5.30 in the morning, so I was a little slow.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th April 2020, 5:10
@fer-no65 – I think she intended to go for the races and skipped F1 testing, and F1 withdrawal is making her regret that decision. Not sure if she’s just a fan, or represents something larger.
I realized just how much the current pandemic has affected my thinking when I first read her tweet – I thought the “testing” referred to was a COVID-19 test.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
28th April 2020, 5:54
@phylyp I think I’m having a deja-vu moment.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th April 2020, 6:51
@mashiat – please do not operate heavy machinery (or an F1 car) while you have double vision. If it persists for 4 hours or longer, please contact a medical practitioner :)
Jere (@jerejj)
28th April 2020, 7:30
Sochi Autodrom isn’t a street circuit, though, as it isn’t used for the regular everyday traffic outside the GP-weekend, so wouldn’t be a problem regarding lead-time, nor without attendees. As for Singapore: They could just not build-up the grandstands.
I could see racing on two consecutive weekends at Circuit de Catalunya as well.
The COTD has a valid point, though.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
28th April 2020, 9:45
A slight tweak to the round-up: There was one story which we hadn’t attributed to its original source, that has now been amended.
ColdFly (@)
28th April 2020, 11:28
Glad Hope✨ (@F1Hopeless) now gets the proper acknowledgement she deserves ;)
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
28th April 2020, 11:19
Just because a Government department is keen to find a solution to get some sport up and running, it doesn’t mean that they’re even going to remotely entertain a sport that required international travel. I imagine they’re looking at solutions for things like the EPL etc not F1 or Test Cricket
Also if F1 is going to cover the costs of holding the British GP, where’s the profitability (i.e potential for teams to earn)? To me there’s still a huge risk that teams will be forced to spend millions to “go racing” with no guarantee of any return from F1
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
28th April 2020, 22:05
Just re-watched last year’s Silverstone race. Fans going crazy with Max and Seb’s battle. Lewis fighting Bottas for the lead… As I watched, the more I noticed how important having live fans cheering is to the atmosphere.
Tried to imagine what it would look and feel like with spectator-free racing. Didn’t like the feeling. As much as I miss a cracking F1 spectacle – the proposed Ghost Racing format holds little appeal.
Not re-activating my over-priced cable package that I cancelled last month for a few rounds of Liberty shareholder rejuvenation.