34 GP RACING JULY 2020
be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary
procedures andexpertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment
and manage whatever issues arrive.”
As explained in Pat Symonds’ column (see page 24), F1 will operate a
‘Command and Control Centre’ to manage the situation live inthe paddock
and deal with any specific coronavirus problems that crop up.
“There is a rigorous set of guidelines, probably at this point it’s 80-90
pages, which will includeevery thing from how you travel there, what are
the processes for being in hotels, towhat are the processesthat exist at
the track, for meals, going to the restroom, downtime between tracks and
testing processes,” Carey adds.
“We will test before you go there, then therewill be testingevery two
days. There are processes if we find an infection. We recognise there is
the possibility so we’re prepared to appropriately deal with it, if we find a
positive infection. We’re working on putting in place tracking capabilities;
we have two different tracking options.
“In many ways, it will be like living in a bubble from whenyou start
travelling on charter planes. There will be controlled transportation to
hotels. And probably within it, sub-bubbles of people who operate different
functions and it is set up to manage the processes, make sure we have the
right protective equipment andsocial distancing.
“We recognise our sport isone which at times[means] we can’t have two
metres betweenevery individual ona team. When a ca r pulls into a pit and
hasto changefour tyres, there wo n’t be two metres betweenevery individual.
We need to make surewe have procedures to manage allthose risks.”For now, no.Plans to introduce
experimental reversed-grid racesfor parts
two of the double-headers at the Red
Bull Ring and Silverstone were vetoed
by Mercedes. Team boss Toto Wolff said
this was done on the grounds his team
considers it an unnecessary “gimmick”
that distracts from the meritocratic
essence of F1, though Brawn says the
main reason is the potential risk it poses
to Mercedes’ quest for a seventh championship double.
“It seems to be a common pattern in Formula 1 that we’re digging out
old ideas that have been analysedformal ly and rejected,” Wolff explains.
“And then somebody thinks it’s great and it’s back on the agenda. I believe
Formula 1 is a meritocracy. Best man in best machine wins. We don’t need
a gimmick to turn the field around to create more exciting racing.”
Wolff also argues reversed gridswould create strategic anomalies,
whereby cars could be retired deliberately in one race to gain pole position
for the next, unbalancing the championship in favour of the second and
third fastest teams, and creatingextra risks for top drivers having to work
their way through the field.
“This is not thetime to experimentwith things that interestingly didn’t
even have thesupp ort of Formula1’s fan community,” Wolff adds. “In a
survey, only 15% expressed an interest in reversedgrids.”
F1 is determined to experiment during the second legs of the double-WILL THE
FORMAT
OF RACING
CHANGE?
The wearing of masks has already
become the new normal in F1, as shownby
Mercedes at its Silverstone shakedownIn Australia (below) there were empty
grandstands and no on-track action.
For the time being, when actiongets
under way seats at races will remain vacant34 GP RACING JULY 2020
be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary
procedures andexpertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment
and manage whatever issues arrive.”
As explained in Pat Symonds’ column (see page 24), F1 will operate a
‘Command and Control Centre’ to manage the situation live inthe paddock
and deal with any specific coronavirus problems that crop up.
“There is a rigorous set of guidelines, probably at this point it’s 80-90
pages, which will includeevery thing from how you travel there, what are
the processes for being in hotels, towhat are the processesthat exist at
the track, for meals, going to the restroom, downtime between tracks and
testing processes,” Carey adds.
“We will test before you go there, then therewill be testingevery two
days. There are processes if we find an infection. We recognise there is
the possibility so we’re prepared to appropriately deal with it, if we find a
positive infection. We’re working on putting in place tracking capabilities;
we have two different tracking options.
“In many ways, it will be like living in a bubble from whenyou start
travelling on charter planes. There will be controlled transportation to
hotels. And probably within it, sub-bubbles of people who operate different
functions and it is set up to manage the processes, make sure we have the
right protective equipment andsocial distancing.
“We recognise our sport isone which at times[means] we can’t have two
metres betweenevery individual ona team. When a ca r pulls into a pit and
hasto changefour tyres, there wo n’t be two metres betweenevery individual.
We need to make surewe have procedures to manage allthose risks.”
For now, no.Plans to introduce
experimental reversed-grid racesfor parts
two of the double-headers at the Red
Bull Ring and Silverstone were vetoed
by Mercedes. Team boss Toto Wolff said
this was done on the grounds his team
considers it an unnecessary “gimmick”
that distracts from the meritocratic
essence of F1, though Brawn says the
main reason is the potential risk it poses
to Mercedes’ quest for a seventh championship double.
“It seems to be a common pattern in Formula 1 that we’re digging out
old ideas that have been analysedformal ly and rejected,” Wolff explains.
“And then somebody thinks it’s great and it’s back on the agenda. I believe
Formula 1 is a meritocracy. Best man in best machine wins. We don’t need
a gimmick to turn the field around to create more exciting racing.”
Wolff also argues reversed gridswould create strategic anomalies,
whereby cars could be retired deliberately in one race to gain pole position
for the next, unbalancing the championship in favour of the second and
third fastest teams, and creatingextra risks for top drivers having to work
their way through the field.
“This is not thetime to experimentwith things that interestingly didn’t
even have thesupp ort of Formula1’s fan community,” Wolff adds. “In a
survey, only 15% expressed an interest in reversedgrids.”
F1 is determined to experiment during the second legs of the double-WILL THE
FORMAT
OF RACING
CHANGE?
The wearing of masks has already
become the new normal in F1, as shownby
Mercedes at its Silverstone shakedownIn Australia (below) there were empty
grandstands and no on-track action.
For the time being, when actiongets
under way seats at races will remain vacant