General
Carey: "If a team isn't able to race, the race will continue."
- GPblog.com
With the newly announced calendar for 2020 we will start on 5 July in Austria with a second round in Spielberg afterwards. For now, eight races are scheduled from 5 July to 6 September, with Formula 1 taking very many measures to minimize any risk of corona contamination. However, should anyone test positive, a race will continue.
Positive infection
Earlier Gerard Saillant of the FIA's medical committee indicated that a positively tested person within the Formula 1 bubble will not cancel races. This is repeated by Chase Carey of Liberty Media today in conversation with Formula1.com. Indeed, Formula 1 is now very well prepared for all types of scenarios and can act accordingly if necessary.
"An individual having been found with a positive infection will not lead to a cancellation of a race. We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual."
"Some things we’d have to talk through and work through. The array of ‘what ifs’ are too wide to play out every one of them, but a team not being able to race wouldn’t cancel the race." In other words: if a team now decides to withdraw from a race, the race itself will continue. So a situation that arose in Australia will not repeat itself.
Driver
Every effort will be made to have the planned races take place and should a driver be tested positive, teams will have an alternative. "But we will have a procedure in place that finding infection will not lead to a cancellation. If a driver has an infection, [teams have] reserve drivers available."
In conclusion, Carey says they're very sure of their case. "We wouldn’t be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary procedures and expertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment and manage whatever issues arrive."