F1 cancelled this year?

F1 cancelled this year?

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threespires

Original Poster:

4,289 posts

210 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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Following the cancellation of the Geneva show, will F1 be cancelled this year?

whytheory

750 posts

145 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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They'd sooner make it TV only I would have thought?

threespires

Original Poster:

4,289 posts

210 months

Friday 28th February 2020
quotequote all
whytheory said:
They'd sooner make it TV only I would have thought?
I hadn't thought of that. Good suggestion.

IforB

9,840 posts

228 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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whytheory said:
They'd sooner make it TV only I would have thought?
I'm not sure they could ever eliminate the risk enough to get it signed off. I suspect they will just end up chopping it race by race.

Right now, I would be very surprised if the first few rounds happened.

TheDeuce

21,262 posts

65 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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Next couple of weeks are critical. The greatest threat appears to be travel bans and/or quarantine requirements which could scupper many races - even if they were run closed doors, the teams and drivers still need to get there.

My hope is that Melbourne will go ahead, and that they will demonstrate common sense measures to prove that the races can continue and be done with sufficient care to not be a major concern.

I don't normally get swept away by news rumours but it's very clear that numerous governments are already introducing or at least debating various safeguards that effectively scupper F1 or any other international event.

IforB

9,840 posts

228 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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Thinking about it, with the outbreak in northern Italy right now, this could easily mean that Ferrari could be stopped from travelling or restricted by bans on people from that region travelling.

If that happened, then it would make a farce of running an event and championship.

The FCO have already put a ban on Brits travelling to certain Italian towns and cities. All of whom are not a million miles away from Maranello.

As Australia have put in place a travel ban on certain places in China, then a precedent has already been set. With countries being so twitchy about this, I can definitely see the default reaction of simply cancelling races happening.

It'll be a huge shame if it happens.

TheDeuce

21,262 posts

65 months

Friday 28th February 2020
quotequote all
IforB said:
Thinking about it, with the outbreak in northern Italy right now, this could easily mean that Ferrari could be stopped from travelling or restricted by bans on people from that region travelling.

If that happened, then it would make a farce of running an event and championship.

The FCO have already put a ban on Brits travelling to certain Italian towns and cities. All of whom are not a million miles away from Maranello.

As Australia have put in place a travel ban on certain places in China, then a precedent has already been set. With countries being so twitchy about this, I can definitely see the default reaction of simply cancelling races happening.

It'll be a huge shame if it happens.
Ferrari, Alfa and pirelli...

And the fact there has been a particularly shocking outbreak in Italy just means they were first in western Europe. Realistically... The same is very likely elsewhere too.

Worldwide plateaue of the virus spread is projected around 10 months from now, which is the same length as the F1 calendar. How can it possibly all go ahead as planned?

If there is any chance at all Melbourne has to go ahead and has to set the bar for cleanliness to prove its possible.

IforB

9,840 posts

228 months

Friday 28th February 2020
quotequote all
TheDeuce said:
IforB said:
Thinking about it, with the outbreak in northern Italy right now, this could easily mean that Ferrari could be stopped from travelling or restricted by bans on people from that region travelling.

If that happened, then it would make a farce of running an event and championship.

The FCO have already put a ban on Brits travelling to certain Italian towns and cities. All of whom are not a million miles away from Maranello.

As Australia have put in place a travel ban on certain places in China, then a precedent has already been set. With countries being so twitchy about this, I can definitely see the default reaction of simply cancelling races happening.

It'll be a huge shame if it happens.
Ferrari, Alfa and pirelli...

And the fact there has been a particularly shocking outbreak in Italy just means they were first in western Europe. Realistically... The same is very likely elsewhere too.

Worldwide plateaue of the virus spread is projected around 10 months from now, which is the same length as the F1 calendar. How can it possibly all go ahead as planned?

If there is any chance at all Melbourne has to go ahead and has to set the bar for cleanliness to prove its possible.
Agreed. I just think they won't make any block decision, they will cancel race by race, but as the outbreak inevitably spreads, then the opportunities for running the races reduce.

Unfortunately I can't see the Aussie event going ahead and I suspect like you, that will bugger the whole year up.


anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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If things do not improve it would be beyond stupid to allow F1 to hold a Championship in 2020.

This goes for all international events.

TheDeuce

21,262 posts

65 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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IforB said:
Agreed. I just think they won't make any block decision, they will cancel race by race, but as the outbreak inevitably spreads, then the opportunities for running the races reduce.

Unfortunately I can't see the Aussie event going ahead and I suspect like you, that will bugger the whole year up.
Weirdly the sky team, initiated by Brundle, just had the same debate on air as we're having here. Same outline points: The problem isn't an outright decision to ban or cancel the season, the problem is that certain teams and suppliers won't have free passage - so the whole idea of a championship starts to collapse.

Chase Carey remains positive, but of course he would. It's his duty to protect the billions invested. Speaking of which... Imagine the knock on effects.. Do the networks get their rights money back if half of the season doesn't go ahead? Do the driver's all keep their pay?

I think the popular word is 'clusterfk'.

TheDeuce

21,262 posts

65 months

Friday 28th February 2020
quotequote all
ELUSIVEJIM said:
If things do not improve it would be beyond stupid to allow F1 to hold a Championship in 2020.

This goes for all international events.
Won't be much to watch while we're all hiding at home instead of being permitted to go to work then! I work overseas a great deal, so my year is likely to become a little empty..

F1 last year was essentially my respite from Brexit being all that was debated on the outside world. And now the current global media story, which is by its nature depressing, is going to take F1 itself away. Great.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 28th February 2020
quotequote all
TheDeuce said:
ELUSIVEJIM said:
If things do not improve it would be beyond stupid to allow F1 to hold a Championship in 2020.

This goes for all international events.
Won't be much to watch while we're all hiding at home instead of being permitted to go to work then! I work overseas a great deal, so my year is likely to become a little empty..

F1 last year was essentially my respite from Brexit being all that was debated on the outside world. And now the current global media story, which is by its nature depressing, is going to take F1 itself away. Great.
I think I would have more faith if countries including the UK were better prepared.

To see people coming off a flight who were suspected of having the virus yet the ground crew and bus drivers were not wearing any protection at all defies belief. It so happens that 4 on this flight do have the virus and the bus driver could now be at risk. Just WTF.

Only yesterday a flight came into London from Northern Italy and not one passenger was checked.

This really doesn't help contain anything.


TheDeuce

21,262 posts

65 months

Friday 28th February 2020
quotequote all
ELUSIVEJIM said:
I think I would have more faith if countries including the UK were better prepared.

To see people coming off a flight who were suspected of having the virus yet the ground crew and bus drivers were not wearing any protection at all defies belief. It so happens that 4 on this flight do have the virus and the bus driver could now be at risk. Just WTF.

Only yesterday a flight came into London from Northern Italy and not one passenger was checked.

This really doesn't help contain anything.
It's common sense Vs economic continuation. If masks were mandated across the entire UK service industry then it would send shockwaves. It's a harsh reality but until the situation on home turf becomes itself shocking, the true response won't start.

For now, keep calm and carry on is the line. I think we're right on the tipping point though, and soon it'll start to get real, and really disruptive.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 28th February 2020
quotequote all
TheDeuce said:
It's common sense Vs economic continuation. If masks were mandated across the entire UK service industry then it would send shockwaves. It's a harsh reality but until the situation on home turf becomes itself shocking, the true response won't start.

For now, keep calm and carry on is the line. I think we're right on the tipping point though, and soon it'll start to get real, and really disruptive.
Totally agree.

Pericoloso

44,044 posts

162 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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TheDeuce said:
Ferrari, Alfa and pirelli...e.
Alpha Tauri work from Faenza near Imola too.

TheDeuce

21,262 posts

65 months

Friday 28th February 2020
quotequote all
Pericoloso said:
TheDeuce said:
Ferrari, Alfa and pirelli...e.
Alpha Tauri work from Faenza near Imola too.
Good point. Brundle also mentioned dallara and brembo.. also based in Italy.


GoodDaySunday

36 posts

50 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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If things don't improve very soon I can see all the races being cancelled.

Host cities won't want thousands of visitors from overseas especially given some will be coming from areas badly effected by the coronavirus.

mk1coopers

1,198 posts

151 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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Better have a UK based championship at various circuits here then tongue out

Send all the parts over first then quarantine the staff and let them stay in the country until we are done, F1 at Goodwood / Brands Hatch / Donnington / Thruxton etc sounds good



TheDeuce

21,262 posts

65 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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If it's not a complete and proper season, I guess Lewis can't beat MS either.

Unless he does so 2021 onwards, although that's a very different proposition.

Mr Pointy

11,143 posts

158 months

Friday 28th February 2020
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I bet a lot of lawyers are looking at a lot of contracts to see if the phrase "Force Majeure" is in there somewhere.