Christian Horner is confident that the Formula 1 season can start in early July with the Austrian Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing team boss also thinks that eighteen races can be held this year.
The first nine races of the Formula 1 season have all been canceled and there is a very good chance that the Grand Prix of France on June 28 will not go through. French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that no major public events should take place until mid-July.
As a result, the Grand Prix of Austria appears to be the next race on the calendar. Formula 1 director Ross Brawn recently said that on July 5 there may be racing behind closed doors on the Red Bull Ring, and that is something Horner can agree with.
“The Red Bull Ring is a turnkey circuit that can meet FIA criteria at very short notice,” Horner said in a statement with Sky Sports. “The idea of finishing the Austrian GP behind closed doors is certainly feasible.”
Horner is still hoping for 18 races in 2020
It is still unclear what the rest of the Formula 1 season will look like. The August summer break has been dropped to make up for many of the canceled races later this year, but the question is whether the corona virus has dampened enough worldwide to allow that.
“We are still confident that eighteen races can be held between the beginning of July and the end of 2020. I think it will all be phased. We will start behind closed doors, with little staff. Then everything will slowly go back to the old “, Horner expects.
“In football and other sports they also think of that route. The advantage in Formula 1 is that the drivers are already a lot of distance from each other and also wear helmets. Such a plan is being investigated, but of course it all depends on local policy, so it is not yet concrete. “
Follow the latest developments around the virus in the sports world in us live blog.
The coronavirus in short
–
–
–
– .
