Italian Grand Prix organiser Angelo Sticchi Damiani has warned Formula 1 a stop/start 2020 season would be a “disaster”.
Currently, nine races are officially cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus, while question marks are hanging over the French, British and Belgian GP’s.
However, on Thursday, it emerged F1 bosses are trying to push ahead with the Austrian GP on July 5 behind closed doors.
And the president of the Automobile Club D’Italia believes that should only be the case if more races can take place after it.
“To start again now and then be forced to stop again would be a disaster,” Sticchi Damiani told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
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As for the Italian GP, its fate this year is also unknown given the scale of the Covid-19 outbreak particularly in the Lombardy region where Monza is located.
However, with the belief that the worst is now over, it would appear the September date could remain feasible if progress continues.
“We have to be careful. We first need to know what is happening in the countries where the Grands Prix is held and what is happening in Italy and Great Britain, the countries where most of the staff is located,” the race organiser admitted.
Last year, Monza reached a new five-year deal with Liberty Media to keep the Italian GP, but one outcome Sticchi Damiani warned musn’t happen is a repeat of the events in Australia.
“That would be a disaster,” he said. “We can’t afford such a mistake. It was a blow to everyone, from Liberty Media to the teams and the local organizers.”