F1 cancelled this year?

[StevieBee]

AIUI, the sporting events cancelled already (other than the China GP) are all events that would have been held indoors or semi-indoors. The Australian GP is of course an out-doors event. Many people of course but quite widely dispersed and the chances of close contact less than in a stadium or arena. I don't know if that makes the threat more or less but my guess is less.

Reading the WHO information, whilst not totally oblivious, I'm struggling to understand the degree of concern that exists. Symptoms range from a mild cough to (in a small percentage of cases) more serious respiratory issues. Fatality rate is less than 2% and mainly afflicting the already infirm and the elderly, two sectors of society that tend not to attend grands prix in any great number.

I'm not suggestion any race should or shouldn't be cancelled because I don't fully understand the issue (and I suspect that is half the problem anyway).

[anonymous-user]

StevieBee said:

AIUI, the sporting events cancelled already (other than the China GP) are all events that would have been held indoors or semi-indoors. The Australian GP is of course an out-doors event. Many people of course but quite widely dispersed and the chances of close contact less than in a stadium or arena. I don't know if that makes the threat more or less but my guess is less.

What a load of nonsense. People at a GP are packed like sardines at times and sit in the same spaced seating as any other event when in the grandstands.

[unident]

jsf said:

StevieBee said:

AIUI, the sporting events cancelled already (other than the China GP) are all events that would have been held indoors or semi-indoors. The Australian GP is of course an out-doors event. Many people of course but quite widely dispersed and the chances of close contact less than in a stadium or arena. I don't know if that makes the threat more or less but my guess is less.

What a load of nonsense. People at a GP are packed like sardines at times and sit in the same spaced seating as any other event when in the grandstands.

Double nonsense, as MotoGP has had the first two rounds cancelled.

[Kraken]

StevieBee said:

AIUI,
Reading the WHO information, whilst not totally oblivious, I'm struggling to understand the degree of concern that exists. Symptoms range from a mild cough to (in a small percentage of cases) more serious respiratory issues. Fatality rate is less than 2% and mainly afflicting the already infirm and the elderly, two sectors of society that tend not to attend grands prix in any great number.

That's irrelevant. Person A with it goes to the GP, spreads it to ten others in the who then spread it to ten others each (and so on) before they all go back to their families and jobs. Who they meet and infect after that is anyones guess and it could be very directly if they have elderly/infirm relatives or work in the health sector.

[tdm34]

Tokyo Motorcycle Show next month cancelled now

https://www.japanistry.com/event/tokyo-motorcycle-...

[RemarkLima]

Petrus1983 said:

Derek Smith said:

I'll believe all the hype only if the stock markets have their biggest fall since 2008.

10% in a week isn’t great.

Can I get a parrot woosh! I think he was being ironic ;-)

[Derek Smith]

RemarkLima said:

Petrus1983 said:

Derek Smith said:

I'll believe all the hype only if the stock markets have their biggest fall since 2008.

10% in a week isn’t great.

Can I get a parrot woosh! I think he was being ironic ;-)

To be fair the 'biggest fall since 2008' was a paraphrased headline in a tabloid, so it might not be right. However, 10% in a week isn't great.

[TheDeuce]

A little clarification from Brawn: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.motorsportweek.co...

I guess this is Brawn firing a warning shot to countries that F1 is an all or nothing gig.

Currently it appears the Italian squads are not allowed in to Vietnam directly from Italy without a 14 day quarantine, but they can supposedly avoid the quarantine if they send their guys an indirect route and keep them from returning home. Not ideal.

[Drumroll]

Another thing they will need to consider is what medical facilities will be available at the host countries. Doctors/Paramedics who attend may be involved in the treatment of the countries citizens, Will ICU beds etc be available at local hospitals.

[DAKO74]

Also I know people like to think it is bring car Lewis turns up and he wins.
But the reality is the thousands of personnel behind that who actually make the wins happen, a few of them get it and suddenly the bods back at base on the computers can't feed back info to the team and the strategy is shot.

Teams will not want to be racing with depleted teams or upgrades that are stuck in Italy etc.

The advantages that Merc have for sure they aren't turning up if they are suddenly depleted in the brains department....
They would rather lose Bottas or Lewis than the engineers etc.
Any super sub could get the Merc round for points

[TheDeuce]

DAKO74 said:

Also I know people like to think it is bring car Lewis turns up and he wins.
But the reality is the thousands of personnel behind that who actually make the wins happen, a few of them get it and suddenly the bods back at base on the computers can't feed back info to the team and the strategy is shot.

Teams will not want to be racing with depleted teams or upgrades that are stuck in Italy etc.

The advantages that Merc have for sure they aren't turning up if they are suddenly depleted in the brains department....
They would rather lose Bottas or Lewis than the engineers etc.
Any super sub could get the Merc round for points

As the virus inevitably spreads around, even by the time we start in Melbourne it's effectively going to be 'everywhere' to some extent. So all teams face the same problems. That's not to say that all teams will be hit equally hard through the course of the season, but Mercedes start strongest (by all evidence so far at least), so it's not unreasonable to expect that even with some problems they will end strongest. The balance of probability, is still in their favour I would think.

The other aspect, as you say, is internal transmission within the teams. I'm guessing the teams have thought of that and can all afford to take very stringent measures to avoid that happening. They can enforce super tight personal cleanliness rules along with perpetual medical screening etc, and their staff will take that seriously as a) they care... b) they don't want to get ill.

Corona virus is certainly going to be a major F1 story this season. But beyond the perpetual story, I think the actual direct effects on the teams will be minimal. In the end if you're all really trying your best to not risk transmitting or picking up the virus, chances are you'll be successful and keep it at bay.

[anonymous-user]

Not sure why you think that.

Motorsport crew will be at a high risk due to the travel involved and the highly mobile people you tend to find in the padock of a racetrack.

[oyster]

Given the volume of support crew to put on races, it will be very difficult to put on races 'behind closed doors' as you might do with a football game for example.

An empty stadium top-flight football game can probably go ahead with perhaps 50 people excluding TV crews.
F1 probably needs 500+

[DAKO74]

I do find it odd that with all this (IMO over panic) from some sports and mainly much to my disappointment the MotoGP race this weekend, that F1 seems so silent on this... they are stopping so many events yet F1 is just saying "take it as it comes".

Not sure how you could have loads of cancelled events yet an F1 race carries on as normal...

Brave, stupid or everyone else is wrong?

From a public relations point of view it could be a real winner if they are one of the top sporting events that carries on...or it could also, back fire...

[TheDeuce]

jsf said:

Not sure why you think that.

Motorsport crew will be at a high risk due to the travel involved and the highly mobile people you tend to find in the padock of a racetrack.

Like I said, it will cost money - chartered flights, gloves and masks, hepa air scrubbers in staff communal areas, rigourously enforced cleanliness.

Is it worth that level of effort and money? Probably - how much money is invested in each and other race going ahead, most significantly in terms of the TV rights.

[LucyP]

Drumroll said:

Another thing they will need to consider is what medical facilities will be available at the host countries. Doctors/Paramedics who attend may be involved in the treatment of the countries citizens, Will ICU beds etc be available at local hospitals.

What do you mean? I don't think that local hospitals reserve beds just for F1!

[LucyP]

TheDeuce said:

Like I said, it will cost money - chartered flights, gloves and masks, hepa air scrubbers in staff communal areas, rigourously enforced cleanliness.

Is it worth that level of effort and money? Probably - how much money is invested in each and other race going ahead, most significantly in terms of the TV rights.

It's much more than any of those things. Masks don't seal tightly enough and they don't stop small airborne particles. Look at the Time site, there is an article from yesterday by Mandy Oaklander, which sets out what the scientists are saying.

Northern Italy is basically a no-go area, which is going to be problematic for the Italian based teams and suppliers.

You can charter all the flights you like, but you still come into contact with crew, ground staff, passport control, security, shuttle bus drivers, hotel staff, other guests in hotels.

You cannot cut yourself off from the outside world. Are you suggesting that the whole of the F1 paddock does that and they all live in isolation with their gloves, masks and air scrubbers?

[Chrisgr31]

DAKO74 said:

I do find it odd that with all this (IMO over panic) from some sports and mainly much to my disappointment the MotoGP race this weekend, that F1 seems so silent on this... they are stopping so many events yet F1 is just saying "take it as it comes".

Not sure how you could have loads of cancelled events yet an F1 race carries on as normal...

Brave, stupid or everyone else is wrong?

From a public relations point of view it could be a real winner if they are one of the top sporting events that carries on...or it could also, back fire...

Isnt the issue that the Moto GP teams left the UAE and the Italian teams cant get back in without 2 weeks in quarantine. Therefore they cant race, as a result MotoGP is not happening.

Ross Brawn appears to be saying the same will apply to F1 if they can get all the teams in the race will happen, if they cant it wont

[TheDeuce]

LucyP said:

It's much more than any of those things. Masks don't seal tightly enough and they don't stop small airborne particles. Look at the Time site, there is an article from yesterday by Mandy Oaklander, which sets out what the scientists are saying.

Northern Italy is basically a no-go area, which is going to be problematic for the Italian based teams and suppliers.

You can charter all the flights you like, but you still come into contact with crew, ground staff, passport control, security, shuttle bus drivers, hotel staff, other guests in hotels.

You cannot cut yourself off from the outside world. Are you suggesting that the whole of the F1 paddock does that and they all live in isolation with their gloves, masks and air scrubbers?

No, nothing so dramatic. The virus is not particularly easy to transmit in trace amounts and maintaining good levels of hygiene can count for a lot.

As you say, living in isolation away from the outside world isn't an option for F1 teams or in fact most of us. On that basis life should go on and for F1 to go on responsibly, the fact the teams move around a lot should be taken in to account and the measures to hinder transmission should be as robust as is practically possible.

Airborne, aerosolised particles carrying the virus are by far the shortest route to transmission - and rigid discipline, masks and thoughtfulness alone can hugely reduce that risk. In areas where there is a lot of human traffic, it's worth the effort. That doesn't mean they can't walk down a high Street to buy a can of coke etc.. If we're going to push on with as much of an F1 season as possible, it should be all about risk limitation in the obvious hot spots and high traffic areas.

Edited by TheDeuce on Thursday 5th March 18:58

[thegreenhell]

It's not down to F1 and the teams to mitigate and just get on with it. If governments say no travel or no visitors from certain regions then that 's the end of it.