08/04/2020
NEWS STORY
Ross Brawn has admitted that the season will most likely get underway in Europe behind closed doors, but still hopes for a 19-race calendar.
The F1 managing director, who earlier this week revealed that along with Chase Carey and 15 directors has taken a pay cut, admits that sport is leaving nothing off the table as it considers how best to finally get the 2020 season underway.
"Travel for the teams and travel for everyone involved is going to be one of the big issues," he tells Sky Sports. "You could argue once we get there we could become fairly self-contained.
"Our view is probably a European start will be favourable and that could even be a closed event," he admits. "We could have a very enclosed environment, where teams come in on charters, we channel them into the circuit, we make sure everyone is tested, cleared and that there is no risk to anyone.
"We have a race with no spectators," he continues. "That's not great, but it's better than no racing at all.
"We have to remember there are millions of people who follow the sport sat at home. A lot of them are isolating and to be able to keep the sport alive and put on a sport and entertain people would be a huge bonus in this crisis we have. But we can't put anyone at risk.
"We're looking at the organisational structure which would give us the earliest start. But also the ability to maintain that start. There's no point having a start and then stopping again for a while. It's most likely to be in Europe. It's conceivable that it could be a closed event."
While Chase Carey says the sport is hoping for a championship of between 15 and 18 races, Brawn admits the reality could be a lot less, though he hopes for as many as 19..
"Eight races is the minimum we can have a world championship, according to the FIA Statutes," he says. "We could achieve eight races by starting in October. So if you wanted a drop dead point it would be October.
"But then there is always the possibility we could run into next year," he adds. "That's being explored. Can we stray into January to finish the season? There are all sorts of complications, as you can imagine, with that.
"If we were able to start at the beginning of July we could do a 19-race season. It would be tough," he admits... three races on, one weekend off, three races on, one weekend off.
"We have looked at all the logistics, and we think we can hold an 18-19 race season if we can get started at the beginning of July. The choice is between those two numbers."
A long-time champion of reducing race weekends to a two-day format, Brawn admits that this is one of the ideas being considered.
"We may have some two-day races in order to meet the logistical needs," he says. "For instance China looks like it will probably be a two-day race if we go ahead with it because to get there and get away to the next event we are planning, it could easily be a two-day race."