A plan to move Formula 1’s summer break forward to March and April due to the Coronavirus is expected to be approved by the FIA World Motor Sports Council.
As revealed by RaceFans earlier today, the usual annual mid-season break will also be extended from 14 days to 21. Several teams are already experiencing restrictions on their activities as a result of the global pandemic which has forced the cancellation of four grands prix and hundreds of other races.RaceFans understands Ferrari was behind moves to bring the summer break forward. The team has already closed its factory, including its F1 operation as a result of the lockdown imposed in Italy to stop the spread of the virus.
While other teams remain open, staff who have returned from Australia following last week’s cancelled race are observing precautionary two-week self-isolation periods away from their bases.
The proposal has already been approved by the Formula 1 Strategy Group and F1 Commission. In order to come into effect it requires the approval of the WMSC, which will be sought via an electronic vote later today, and is expected to be granted.
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2020 F1 season
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Chaitanya
18th March 2020, 15:34
Just saw post Ferrari donating ventilators and money for treatment of virus. Its good to see them doing this for safety of their employess and people of community.
Jere (@jerejj)
18th March 2020, 15:34
But there still wouldn’t be a considerable amount of room to play with between Hungary and Belgium. NL (should the Dutch GP also lose its original slot) would either have to form a double-header with Hungary or a triple-header with Belgium and Italy or take the middle-weekend 14 days after and before Hungary and Belgium respectively. Not every single one of the three could get filled due to the surrounding races on their existing slots as otherwise there’d be races on more than three consecutive weekends.
Srdjan Mandic (@srga91)
18th March 2020, 16:53
A triple-header with Spa and Monza would be a very bad idea, because the Dutch fans would just be going to Zandvoort and not to Spa.
A double-header with Hungary would be the optimal choice.
Pironi the Provocateur (@pironitheprovocateur)
18th March 2020, 18:02
Not a bad idea. Hungaroring attracts fans from the whole Central Europe and the promoter’s don’t need to worry about the absence of Dutch fans.
Bart
18th March 2020, 19:35
Many more Dutch people want to see the Zandvoort GP than the track can accommodate. Many will have to go to Spa if they want to see a race at all. And some will try to go to both venues anyway.
kenji
19th March 2020, 12:43
Given the current state of affairs with this virus I very much doubt that we’ll see an Italian GP this year. Italy has been massively hit and no one knows how long this will take to work through to being just another virus…if that is possible. Sad to see but the next race at Monza will be, IMHO, ’21 at the earliest.
Hoosier Daddy
19th March 2020, 16:04
But calling it “the break” is like having the intermission for a long movie before the movie starts.