Belief in GP Austria: "If by sometime in June, we say yes, it's on"

F1 News

28 April 2020 at 15:49
Last update 28 April 2020 at 16:19
  • GPblog.com

Formula 1 confirmed last Monday that the Austrian Grand Prix is likely to host the first two races of the 2020 F1 season. That should happen from the first weekend of July. However, the teams are still at a standstill for the time being, so how much time do they need to prepare.

So the Grand Prix of Austria is seen as the best option to start the season. However, the question is whether the teams will be ready by then. Of course they have to deal with different regulations in different countries, so is a Grand Prix on July 5th at the Red Bull Ring realistic?

"I think so," Otmar Szafnauer from Racing Point told CNN. "If Austria does a very good job as a country to contain the spread of the virus into July, and there's testing kits available for all of the Formula 1 employees or participants to actually test, I think it's plausible to put on a race in early July".

The teams, who are still in lockdown for the time being, will need a few weeks of preparation to be able to start the race weekend in Spielberg properly. "If by sometime in June, we say yes, it's on, it's happening, we're safe to go. I think all the teams will be able to make it, no problem", Szafnauer concludes.