The coronavirus crisis represents an unprecedented test for Formula 1, whose sports manager Ross Brawn makes no secret of the fact that his future is in jeopardy.
The first nine Grands Prix of the 2020 season have been postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Formula 1 faces an unprecedented calendar puzzle. For financial reasons, it is crucial to organize as many Grands Prix as possible by the end of the year, and Ross Brawn has hinted that the season could start in July with as many as 19 races in five months. barely.
However, in the context of the current global epidemic, it is very difficult to know when it will be possible to resume competition, while the movement of people from one country to another is greatly restricted. “Obviously you have to follow government directives”, says Brawn in a Sky Sports F1 podcast. “But I think people will have to go back to work after a while, and I don’t know if this will be 100% resolved when we get back to work.”
“If we wait until it is 100% resolved, a vaccine has been invented and everyone is vaccinated, how long does it take? So we will have to assess when it will be fair and correct to go back to work, do the things we did before – maybe with much more care than before. “
A need for humanism
The ten stables and four Formula 1 engine manufacturers have around 8,000 to 9,000 employees, not to mention those who work directly for the championship, and many others depend on the top category of motorsport for a living. Brawn is well aware of this.
“This disease has a huge social and economic impact which must also be taken into account when deciding when is the best time to return”, continues the Briton. “The families and people who have been directly affected by this disease have experienced terrible tragedies, which we cannot underestimate – it’s horrible.”
“But the economic and social impact of this disease will start to become a real factor. We just need to find the balance that allows the return of a form of normalcy. Sport is a major factor in people’s well-being , it entertains them, it interests them, it arouses many positive emotions. “
“And we employ thousands of people. If F1 collapses, thousands and thousands of people are unemployed. We have to find a way to get through this crisis. It won’t be binary, that is to say that this is not going to be resolved overnight, it will be a transition period that we will have to manage with as much care as possible to minimize the risks. “
Above all, F1 must be ready to handle possible cases of coronavirus in the paddock – hypothesis far from being far-fetched, having already shown up in Melbourne. “I think if there is a team whose members have been victims of the coronavirus, we will have to study the circumstances – is it at the factory, is it at the circuit? – and have a plan in place to manage it”, he concludes.
–
