Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is confident Formula 1 will be able to continue holding races despite a rising number of Europe countries announcing new lockdowns to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
France, Germany and Belgium have already announced lockdowns and Britain, where all bar two F1 teams are at least partly based, is expected to do the same imminently.However Wolff believes it will not be necessary for Formula 1 teams to suspend their operations as they did during the first wave of lockdowns earlier this year.
“I think the lockdowns that we see in Europe now are very different to the lockdowns in spring,” he said. “Back in spring it was a complete shutdown of any activity: Going to work, being on the street.
“I think this time, at least [from] what we can see from France and Germany, access to pubs, restaurants and leisure places has been stopped or has been curfewed. Going to work is still permitted for the ones that need to go to work. It will impact our lives, that’s for sure. It will heavily impact some industries. But I think we can find a way of working around it.”
There are four races remaining in the 2020 F1 season following this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The series is due to visit Turkey in mid-November, then hold a triple-header of events in the Middle East with two races in Bahrain and the season finale in the United Arab Emirates.
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Wolff admitted it will be up to the health authorities in those countries to decide whether those races can go ahead, but said F1 has an excellent record of minimising the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
“You never know whether we can do all the races that are being left, because clearly the health question comes first. It’s in the hands of the health authorities in the countries that we are visiting to accept motor racing and host us.
“If these guys decide that it’s too much of a risk, then obviously we can’t race there. And this is how the decision-making process arose.
“I believe that Formula 1 has done really a great job – and I mean the FIA, FOM and the teams – in running a championship contrary to many other team championships that are either run in a much reduced was or totally confined in some area.
“We’ve been travelling from country to country, we’ve kept in our bubbles, we’ve had very few positive Covid cases and that’s why I don’t think we really are providing a risk in a country that we are visiting because we are probably the safest group of people out there.
“But who am I to judge? Somebody who knows and understands much more about the medical situation will have an input and will have a say and the FIA and FOM and we just have to take their guidance.”
Yesterday the FIA announced that over the preceding week 4,281 Covid-19 tests of personnel associated with F1 had been conducted, of which nine had tested positive.
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2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
- Gasly says potential lost podium at Imola was his most painful retirement yet
- An F1 marshal explains why Stroll’s Imola near-miss raises safety concerns
- McLaren must seek “smallest gains” in qualifying to fight for third
- Pirelli begins probe into Verstappen tyre failure
- 2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Star Performers
Jere (@jerejj)
31st October 2020, 18:34
I’m also fully confident that the remaining events after this one can go ahead. This weekend’s event in Imola, of course, changed from being open to the general public to a closed one at short notice, and out of the subsequent four, at least the Turkish and Abu Dhabi GP will take place without attendance. I expect Bahrain to follow suit.
David Bondo
31st October 2020, 18:35
Turkey don’t really care about the virus and are open to tourists, but the situation in Europe could rapidly get out of control in the next two weeks with mass lockdowns everywhere, all non-essential travel restricted. There’s a chance this will be the final race of what has been a dreadful, completely uncompetitive season. F1 at its lowest point in its history on track (and probably off track given the hit to revenue).
melanos
31st October 2020, 18:58
Not quite if you ignore the top spot. There’s still a fierce competition for number two (between a turtle and a hare I’d say) and for number four onwards. Also there’s a healthy competition among constructors beyond the intractable Mercs.
Jere (@jerejj)
31st October 2020, 20:30
@David Bondo As I replied to you before (I think it was you), I’m not worried this race could prove to be the last of this year. As for your point about Turkey: The Turkish GP will take place without spectators, so shouldn’t be an issue, and the same with the Gulf (Abu Dhabi at least, but probably Bahrain as well.)
Carlos Medrano (@carlosmedrano)
31st October 2020, 21:03
Lol what are you talking about, the midfield battle has been so close and exciting. It was obvious Hamilton would win he is that good, thats why I was focused more on the renault, mclaren and force India battle
David Bondo
1st November 2020, 5:12
At the end of the day we want to see a battle between opposing drivers and teams for wins every race, not 7 years of two sides of the garage trying to win with Toto and co barely hiding their glee when it’s HAM/BOT rather than BOT/HAM.
ian dearing
31st October 2020, 19:01
Off message but rumours that Williams have taken the extra year option on Russell so signed for 2021 and 22.
Postreader
31st October 2020, 19:27
Crazy that Italy is already having 50% more deaths per day, per capita, than Brazil at this point.
The Gulf and Turkey remain relatively safe-ish so far, so I don’t think it’ll be a concern.
@HoHum (@hohum)
31st October 2020, 20:49
Turkey may be problematic with Erdogan whipping up anti France (western) sentiments amongst the islamist crazies.
Bulgarian (@bulgarian)
31st October 2020, 21:38
F1 is international and world wide sport, so Mr. Erdogan is not a fool to hit F1 and damage his own reputation. I am sure all final 4 GPs outside Europe will go on as planned.