More details have been revealed of Formula 1’s plan to limit the coronavirus risk and get racing back on track from July.
After the failed attempt to hold the Australian Grand Prix in March, F1 has been staying at home as more and more races called off their event while factories have been in mandatory shutdown.
In recent weeks though, hope has been rising to finally start the season in Austria, which is working to put on two closed-door events on July 5 and 12.
“Red Bull are really committed to getting the championship off the ground, they have put in huge effort to get the race underway in Austria,” F1 team boss Christian Horner told Autosport.
“It’s a circuit that’s owned by Red Bull, so it’s obviously within their control, but they’re working with the local authorities and the government.
“Of course the screening and testing and the restrictions that are going to be in place are going to be pretty draconian, but if it allows the sport to start up again, I think it will be a blueprint for other circuits to follow.”
And now we have a better idea of what F1 hopes to do to ensure races can go ahead safely.
“We’re working very closely with the FIA,” F1 motorsport boss Ross Brawn said. “The FIA are doing a great job of putting together the structure we need.
“Everybody will be tested and will have a clearance before they even go in, and then every two days they’ll be tested while in the paddock and that will be with an authorised authority and consistent.
“Certainly for all the European races, we’ll be using the same facility to conduct that testing and we can ensure that everybody has been tested who is in that environment and tested regularly.
“And then we’ll have restrictions on how people move around within the paddock.
“We cannot socially distance a team, we cannot have staff socially-distanced. So we have to create an environment that, within itself, is effectively a small bubble of isolation.
“The teams will stay within their own groups. They won’t mingle with other teams, and they’ll stay at their own hotels. There are no motorhomes going to be there, there will be a catering facility that we will make sure that respects all the requirements.
“So there’s a tremendous amount of work going on between ourselves and the FIA. I’m very encouraged by what I’m seeing what I’m hearing, that we’ll be able to provide a safe environment.”
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After the double-header in Spielberg, Silverstone is expected to follow suit, though a final decision is still a few weeks away.
Managing director Stuart Pringle has a warning for F1, however, that maintaining the proposed level of testing will have challenges.
“F1 is talking about their need to implement some sort of testing regime if they are to take the championship on its global travels,” he told The Guardian.
“That seems to be a necessity and it won’t be straightforward or cheap. F1 feels it needs to be clear that everybody in the paddock environment is testing negative.”