Start, Circuit de Catalunya, 2019

F1 not planning third race at Silverstone despite new Covid-19 restrictions in Catalunya

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Formula 1 is not planning to replace the Spanish Grand Prix with a third race at Silverstone following concerns over a rise in Covid-19 cases in Catalunya, RaceFans understands.

A surge in reported infections last week led to four million people in the area being asked to stay at home. Formula 1 is due to race at the Circuit de Catalunya on August 16th, following back-to-back races at Silverstone.

This prompted speculation the Spanish round would be cancelled and F1 would add a third race at the home of the British Grand Prix. However multiple sources have confirmed to RaceFans this is not under discussion at present.

On Sunday Formula 1 completed its first run of three races under its new ‘Closed Event’ regulations which are intended to allow races to go ahead with no spectators, minimal team members and restrictions on interaction between staff from different teams. These will continue for upcoming races.

Formula 1 is yet to confirm which races will appear on the calendar following the 10th round of the championship at Sochi Autodrom on September 27th. As RaceFans reported yesterday three further races in Europe are expected to be confirmed.

These could come at the expense of races originally scheduled for October, such as the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. The number of cases in the USA has risen steadily since mid-June and the country now has the world’s highest totals of Covid-19 infections – 3.9 million – and deaths, at 141,000.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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33 comments on “F1 not planning third race at Silverstone despite new Covid-19 restrictions in Catalunya”

  1. plenty of circuits to choose, possibility of 2 races elsewhere, i don’t see why would anyone think of a third race at silverstone

    1. @lello4ever because they’re already at Silverstone for the previous two races. However, I would much rather they go to Belgium early and have two races at Spa!

    2. Yes Spa is the only thing I like about Belgium 😂 a beautiful circuit.

      1. Looks like someone doesn’t like beer

        1. Or chocolate

          1. Or french fries

          2. Or mussels

  2. Good, I don’t want to watch Mercedes destroy their opposition thrice on the same circuit. I will much rather watch it on three different tracks.

    1. Nobody watches mercedes racing anyway, people prefers watching midfield battle with scenario 7 instead.

  3. I would like to see Hokenheimring and Aragon added to list of possible races this year.

    1. Hockenheimring already said not possible

  4. You’re pretty much alone in wanting Aragon. It’s a tilkedrome much like any other

    1. Given the weather at Nurburgring in Nov(on good day 7-8C with chances of snow/rain) that tilkedrome at Aragon(FIM config) will be thousand times better and it will be better than Mugello as well.

      1. @Chaitanya It is about October, not November, but yes, the former is also unideal for F1 with around 10-15 degrees for the most part.

  5. If they are going to the Nurburgring, let’s make it ballsy and race the Nordschleife.

    1. Good for you, not the safety of the drivers. Unless you think crashing is fun there

  6. I live close to the track, and so far, that area has not been under threat. Only at Barcelona city and its surroundings they have “recommended” people to stay at home. Montmelo is further away from the capital.

    It sucks, tho… hope numbers stabilize again and being to drop soon… but people are travelling a lot more now that we’re on holidays

  7. John Edwards
    23rd July 2020, 14:21

    They could also go to Estoril or Valencia or Jerez instead?!

  8. I bet if there was another F1 certified (can’t remember the term used) venue in the UK then moving it there would be a slam dunk. Unfortunately I don’t believe such a venue exists since in reality no other venue in the UK would be able to justify it under normal conditions since UK tracks are not used for testing either Tgis is especially true given previous non-intervention by the UK government when it comes to F1 (a stance that I can understand being a UK taxpayer).

    1. Slightly disingenuous to the UK government. Whilst they wouldn’t put money into Bernie’s pocket; nor Liberty’s, they have spent billions on British Motorsport and its infrastructure, and continue to invest heavily in it. Probably more so than any other country. For example in 2008 the government invested over £3 billion in the industry.

      1. I’m not an expert in what the UK government has done or not done with UK motorsport as a whole so if those numbers are true then that is good. This was not what I was gunning for.

        I think my sentiment comes from the fact that every time it comes to Silverstone trying to negotiate a new contract with F1, they tell us that most other races get state support of some kind and the UK government politely state that UK motorsport is a rich industry (it certainly isn’t poor) and that they should be able to find the money themselves. As you said they weren’t willing to line Bernie’s or Liberty’s pockets.

          1. Thanks for the link, genuinely good that the UK does have this level of expertise and has some government acknowledgement.

            However I fear that this would not translate into circuit investment to get another UK track to F1 standards (must be £100m+) given that a) Silverstone seems to be well liked by the F1 circus so would be hard to dislodge, b) Liberty would likely not countenance a country having 2 GPs due to demand and I doubt a 2nd UK venue would be a big enough payer to convince them otherwise and c) F1 testing (or any other F1 activity) at the venue would probably be non-existent.

            It always stuck me as odd that the UK is a bit of an outlier of traditional motorsport countries in only having one venue at F1 standards, but thinking about it you only really need one. The second circuits of Mugello, Imola, Valancia, Jerez, Nurburgring, Magby Cours etc under normal circumstances have to survive without F1 whilst probably paying top dollar to keep their circuits certified.

    2. If only Donington Park had actually had the funding to update the circuit when they had the opportunity. No way they’ll go anywhere near trying to get F1 status again.

      1. Yes, of the three major tracks in the UK Silverstone is probably the worse for viewing as the other two are in natural bowls. Apart from the pit straight and Melbourne Loop you can pretty much see half to two thirds of Donington from any viewing area.

  9. Let’s go to Motorland Aragon.
    Ok, it’s a Tilkedrom, but in the way of COTA, Sepang, Bahrein instead of Sochi, Valencia, Mexico.
    I have family who lives in Alcañiz (the closest town to the circuit) and in the middle of August at 3:10 pm it’s gonna be pretty hot, around 37-40ºC (Mercedes Kryptonite)

  10. I know this is all less than ideal, but I am really enjoying the constant schedule changes and updates we get from Liberty, Mr. Penske, and The France Family in their carious forms of Motorsports. The thinking outside the box is nice to see as a fan.

  11. Kymi Ring please. :)

  12. I hope Sepang to be back. The best Tilkedrome if not Istanbul.

  13. Catalunya ditched then?

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