Ever since Liberty Media acquired the Formula One Group in 2016 (paying US$4.6 billion for it), the American media company has been changing the character of the sport. There has been a bigger push in commercialization and expanding the sport’s global footprint. It has also increased the number of rounds for the championship and has not ruled out going to as many as 30 rounds in future. That’s something many teams and drivers are not in favour of because having to be on the move all the time, not only putting the pressure on logistics but also affecting personal life.
Not surprisingly, Liberty Media has been keen to have more rounds in America and has announced that Las Vegas will be a venue in the 2023 calendar. The city, well known for its casinos, has hosted Formula 1 before in 1981 and 1982 when a racetrack was created in the carpark of the Caesar’s Palace hotel and casino (yes, the carpark was big enough for a track within it). It was considered one of the worst circuits in F1 history.
The circuit in the Caesar’s Palace carpark used for the F1 rounds in 1981 and 1982. Drivers had to go round for 75 laps and it was considered among the worst circuits in F1 history.
F1 races in America
Other American cities which have had Formula 1 rounds in the past have been Detroit/Michigan (1982 – 1988), Los Angeles/California (1976 – 1983), Dallas/Texas (1984), Riverside/California (1960), Sebring/Florida (1959), Watkins Glen/New York (1961 – 1980), Indianapolis/Indiana (2000 – 2007), and Austin/Texas (2012 – 2019, 2021). In total, there have been at least 50 rounds of F1 held in America though it is not so apparent. In 1982, it became the first country to host 3 rounds in one season. This year will see Miami being added to the list when it is run for the first time on May 8.
While the last circuit was laid out in a carpark and the drivers had to go round the 3.6-km course for 75 laps, the 2023 one will have a very different layout (31 layouts were considered). While there will be 14 corners like the 1982 circuit, the new track will have 3 long main straights and a total lap length of 6.12 kms.
Night race
The racing cars will certainly be going much faster than those in the 1980s and should reach 340 km/h as they speed along the Strip past the buildings. The race will also be held at night, a feature of the sport since the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix when the first night race was held.
It started with a bold declaration by Liberty Media, which hold commercial rights for the sport, that the first three rounds of 2020 Formula 1 World Championship would go ahead as scheduled. That was around the time (February 29) the Geneva Motorshow was cancelled and so was the China round of the F1 championship in April.
Although the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic was worsening, no one expected it to accelerate and hit Europe and then America and almost every country in the world so quickly. Worse, Italy then went into a lockdown to try to slow the spread of the disease, potentially affecting some of the racing teams which have bases in Italy as well as Pirelli, F1’s tyre supplier. Some countries were getting concerned about Italian travelers and refused to allow them in.
But still the opening round in Australia scheduled for this weekend was to continue. In spite of concerns expressed by the teams, ‘the show had to go own’; Liberty Media had already warned its shareholders that there will be a severe effect on revenues this year with millions of dollars being lost if championship rounds are cancelled and certainly a lot more if the entire championship is not run.
The circuit in Albert Park, Melbourne, where the first round of 2020 was to be held.
Australia was already beginning to have a growing number of cases as March started and restrictions were placed on foreign travelers. An exception was made for those from Italy but they had to go through stringent checks. Eight F1 personnel from two teams were seen to display mild symptoms associated with the virus and tests were done on them.
Then news came that a member of the McLaren Racing team tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and thing began to unravel. Lewis Hamilton was vocal about the race being run, with Sebastian Vettel saying that, ‘for sure you pull the handbrake’, referring to the possibility of cancelling the event if the situation was too unsafe.
“I am really very, very surprised that we are here,” Hamilton said at a press conference. “For me, it is shocking that we are all sitting in this room. It seems like the rest of the world is reacting … Formula One continues to go on – it’s definitely concerning for me.”
In these times, social distancing (standing at least a metre away from another person) is recommended and Lewis Hamilton was certainly not taking chances! The reigning World Champion was surprised that the race was not cancelled earlier.
Among the 20 drivers, personal health safety was of course a priority, but they also felt that any team excluded from the race – due to restrictions – would mean it was not fair to that team or teams. “If a team is prevented from entering a country, we can’t have a race. Not a Formula One world championship race, anyway, because that would be unfair,” said Formula 1 motorsports Managing Director, Ross Brawn.
McLaren then announced it would not participate, issuing this statement: “McLaren Racing has confirmed this evening in Melbourne that it has withdrawn from the 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, following the positive test of a team member for the coronavirus. The team member was tested and self-isolated as soon as they started to show symptoms and will now be treated by local healthcare authorities.”
“The team has prepared for this eventuality and has ongoing support in place for its employee who will now enter a period of quarantine. The team is cooperating with the relevant local authorities to assist their investigations and analysis.”
“Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, and Andreas Seidl, Team Principal of McLaren F1, informed Formula 1 and the FIA of the decision this evening. The decision has been taken based on a duty of care not only to McLaren F1 employees and partners, but also to the team’s competitors, Formula 1 fans and wider F1 stakeholders.”
Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, Jr. were the first two drivers to withdraw from the race after one of McLaren’s personnel was found to be infected.
The teams met and half of them (five) were willing to race so it was a stalemate and had to be discussed with other parties to come to a decision. Then Daimler AG came into the picture, instructing its team (Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport) not to participate, along with persuading it customer teams Racing Point and Williams to do the same. That left only two teams willing to race – Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri. The decision was clear: pull out. Some drivers packed and got on flights home right away.
It was still dark in the western world (6 am in Malaysia) as the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) sent out its statement: “At 9 am today, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation was advised by Formula One of their intention to cancel all Formula 1 activity at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. In light of this decision and updated advice this morning from the Chief Health Officer of the Victorian Government’s Department of Human and Health Services, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation confirms the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix is cancelled immediately.”
The FIA, Formula 1 and AGPC confirmed that the race was cancelled although there had been hopes that it could still be run – without spectators as the local government had banned large gatherings. “All parties took into consideration the huge efforts of the AGPC, Motorsport Australia, staff and volunteers to stage the opening round of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship in Melbourne, however concluded that the safety of all members of the Formula 1 family and the wider community, as well as the fairness of the competition take priority,” the statement said.
The next round is in Bahrain, which is to be held on March 22, and the organisers for that event have already planned to run the race without spectators present, relying on livestreaming and TV broadcasts. At the time of writing, Bahrain has around 60 cases and no deaths.
Then there is the third round in Vietnam which has yet to be decided upon. The race is scheduled for April 5 but the government has already declared that anyone who has been in Italy (as well as China, Iran and certain areas of South Korea) in the previous 14 days will not be allowed in. That would mean the Italian teams and Pirelli’s personnel. With the W.H.O. having declared that the situation is now a ‘pandemic’ and urging governments to be more serious, it is likely that the Vietnamese will not be as flexible as the Australians. So it looks like the round will be postponed if not cancelled which is unfortunate as it would be the first time F1 is held in the country.
As for the rest of the championship, there is uncertainty since the pandemic is growing daily and even postponement of events may not be possible. The virus isn’t just going to ‘vanish’ overnight and even if it can be slowed, it will still be around for some time to come. Singapore’s Prime Minister last night warned that ‘this outbreak will continue for some time – a year, and maybe longer’.
Apart from F1, other motorsports events have also been cancelled or postponed, including the Formula E round that was scheduled for June 22. The organisers of the Jakarta e-Prix will follow the instruction of the Governor of Jakarta not to run the race even though it is still many months ahead. It will be rescheduled but the new date has not been announced yet. Jakarta joins the circuits in Sanya, China and Rome which have had their events postponed.
Related: Formula E round in China cancelled, other motorsports events under review by FIA due to concerns about coronavirus.
With less than a week to go before opening, the 90th edition of the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) has been cancelled. Although the COVID-19 epidemic is spreading and increasing in many places all over the world, the organisers may have been debating daily whether to cancel but the decision was made for them when the Swiss government ordered that events with more than 1,000 people would not be permitted to run (at least until March 15, 2020).
“We regret this situation, but the health of all participants is our and our exhibitors’ top priority. This is a case of force majeure and a tremendous loss for the manufacturers who have invested massively in their presence in Geneva. However, we are convinced that they will understand this decision,” said Maurice Turrettini, Chairman of the Foundation Board.
The Geneva International Motor Show has been a popular event for manufacturers (though its future has been at risk for other reasons before this virus crisis). Even Proton was present in 2010 to display a concept car called the EMAS.
GIMS was to have opened on March 5 and construction of the stands at the Palexpo venue has been nearly complete and now dismantling will instead have to be organised. The financial consequences for all those involved in the event are significant, especially carmakers which had planned to use GIMS to unveil their new models, among them the new Volkswagen Golf GTI and Kia Sorento.
Geely launched its new ICON SUV last week with an online event in China and some companies may be rushing to do the same thing. Of course, they have already spent a lot of money preparing for GIMS and although they will get refunds, some costs won’t be avoidable, eg payments to contractors building the stands. However, tickets already purchased for the event will be refunded.
Even though there are so far only 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in Switzerland, the move by the government is aimed at preventing or delaying the spread of the disease in the country in the hope of reducing its momentum. For events with fewer than 1,000 people, organizers are required to carry a risk assessment in conjunction with the authorities to decide whether the event can be held.
The Formula E all-electric single-seater series round in Marrakesh will run this weekend.
FIA monitoring situation but no cancellations – yet
While the Formula E round in Marrakesh will run this weekend, Liberty Media, the company which took over the commercial side of F1 in 2017, is expecting the COVID-19 crisis to impact its revenues by millions for the 2020 season. As it is, the Chinese GP scheduled in April has been postponed and the FIA is monitoring the situation closely and making the necessary decisions in the interests of the participants and the public.
The last time a F1 event was cancelled was in 2011 when the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was to have been the season-opener, could not run due to concerns about unrest in the country.
First round of 2020 Formula 1 championship will still go ahead in Melbourne on March 15.
The first round for 2020 is to start in Melbourne, Australia, on March 15, a date that is presently used as an end-date for COVID-19-related measures. Round 2 will be in Bahrain and Round 3 at a new street circuit in Hanoi, Vietnam. Liberty Media wants the races to run and the FIA has so far not instructed any cancellations or changes to the calendar of 22 races, apart from the Chinese GP.
However, there could be a problem for some teams if the host countries become strict on entry or even refuse to allow entry to travellers from certain countries, eg Italy which has the largest cluster of infected persons. This not only affects the racing teams but also companies that support the teams. There are some logistics and hospitality contractors who have bases in China and they not only face increasing challenges to their operations, but movements of their personnel are hampered as some cannot enter certain countries or are stuck in them.
It’s not only F1 that has this critical situation but all sports… in fact, any event where large crowds will be gather in close proximity. These could include racetracks, stadiums and convention centres. It has already been found that one means of transmission has occurred at events where one infected person has passed the virus on to others present. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now raised its global risk assessment of the new coronavirus to the highest level.
