This is how Formula 1 returned after its hiatus

Although it seemed that Formula One was not going to stop its start and it was going to smell like burned rubber in Australia, just two days before the first race the organizers decided to suspend the 2020 season until further notice. After several McLaren members tested positive for coronavirus and the team announced its retirement, more than 3 months passed from that postponement, 5 races have been definitively canceled and it is not even known exactly how many Grand Prizes can actually be held this year. However, Formula 1 returned on July 5 under these parameters and dates.

Races and dates

The coronavirus pandemic caused Formula 1 to go from a record schedule with 22 races to only 8 Grand Prix confirmed at the moment, in which races will be repeated on the same circuit. For example, the Spielberg circuit in Austria that will host two Grand Prix in a row, the first was held on July 5, opening the 2020 season, the next will be on July 12, according to Motor Sport. The same will happen at Silverstone in Great Britain where races will be held on August 2 and 9. As reported by El Mundo, the possibility of conducting the second race in the opposite direction on repeated circuits was discussed. The organization ruled that this would not be carried out.

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On the other hand, the organization is still looking for ways to hold a minimum of 15 races this 2020, as it is required for the full collection of television rights according to Mundo Deportivo. However, Formula 1 wants to go further and achieve at least 18 Grand Prix, currently, they have been able to confirm 8 races and their Sports Director, Ross Brawn, assures that the circuits of Bahrain and Abu Dhabi will be able to be held, which would add a total of 10 races at the moment, although it is hoped that Europe will be the scene of the missing races.

Regarding the dates of the 8 confirmed races:

July 5 Austrian Grand Prix. Podium: 1. Valtteri Boots (Mercedes), 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and 3. Lando Norris (McLaren).

July 12 Austrian Grand Prix.

July 19 Hungarian Grand Prix.

August 2 Grand Prix of Great Britain.

August 9 Grand Prix of Great Britain.

August 16 Spanish Grand Prix.

August 30 Belgian Grand Prix.

September 6 Italian Grand Prix.

And the coronavirus?

The pandemic is still present. Therefore, no sport can lower its guard. Accordingly, the organizers have taken a series of measures that are reported in the Sport newspaper, starting with running the races behind closed doors, that is, there will be no public, while only essential personnel will be able to attend.

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Contact with the curators must be at a distance through video calls. This social distancing has also caused a lengthening of time in the engine changes, since the engineers will have to work separately and the Technical Director of the Racing Point team assured that this means that the engine change takes twice as long as usual, according to Motor Sport. The allocation of tires will go from being personalized to standard, now the teams will have 6 pairs of soft tires, 3 medium and 2 hard. Likewise, the podium underwent changes, since this time it took place on the track itself, with distance between the pilots and teams and without the presence of the Fly Emirates hostesses, although the champagne tradition continues.

Finally there is the process of testing for coronaviruses. Although it is estimated that a total of 3,000 people are present for the first Grand Prix, El Español reports that for this, more than 10,000 Covid-19 tests will be carried out, which will begin to be applied to the teams before traveling to Austria. The laboratory in charge of analyzing the tests will be working 24 hours a day and each member must present a negative test carried out in a period of less than 4 days, in addition to having a mobile application that will record the routes of each participant.