Spanish GP could be cancelled / moved

[noshpit]

There was a report in the news saying that there has been a confirmed case of swine flu in spain and that large public events could be cancelled or postponed. Could this mean no spanish GP this year. If this happens will a virus get rotr due to there being no race ??

[TomWazzleshaw]

Good riddens to the Spanish GP I say
The Barcelona track was boring as hell anyway...
Although to see it go like this is a tad disappointing

[CarlosFerreira]

One case is hardly an epidemic - although I remember that, at the time of foot-and-mouth in the UK, they cancelled the National Rally Championship. The question there was that people would see the rally in the areas affected - on the countryside.

I hope this is wrong.

Either way, after the Malaysian monsoon, Chinese tempest and Bahraini threat of sandstorm, Bernie can't seem to get a break this year!

[noshpit]

true one case isnt and epidemic and i personally dont think they should not hold the gp. i think they said it was precaustionary. this is just what i heard.

[Captain Hammer]

If the response to swine flu in Mexico is anything to go by, sporting events can go ahead ... they just won't be attended by anyone except the competitiors. Besides, if this report is anything to go by, the only known carrier - and possibly the twenty suspected cases - are confined to Albacete provience here they have been quarantined, and Albacete is nowhere near Barcelona. The Spanish authorities have apparently moved quickly, so there's no reason why the Spanish Grand Prix should be cancelled.

[noshpit]

thats what i thought when i heard it. the cases were kms away from track. anyway wikipedia said so, so it must be true

[thehemogoblin]

One can hope... the Spanish Grand Prix is sooooooo boring.


My proposal: Since they're all going to be following each other the entire time, why not paint all the cars black and make the F in "F1" stand for "Funeral Procession".

[RejectSteve]

One case is hardly an epidemic - although I remember that, at the time of foot-and-mouth in the UK, they cancelled the National Rally Championship. The question there was that people would see the rally in the areas affected - on the countryside.

When that concern was high in 2001, the Rally Catalunya (same region as the eponymous race track) went on with only a few stages closed off from specators. Both the Spanish GP and Rally Catalunya are run by the RACC.

[Alianora La Canta]

When the foot-and-mouth epidemic struck Britain in 2001, the British Grand Prix developed several layers of contingency plans. The most extreme of these involved barring everyone except the competitors. A second layer, to be used if the epidemic was still entrenched in the locality but helicopter travel was possible, was to allow only the 2000 or so corporate hospitality people in. This would have let the circuit gain about half of its expected income without recourse to the roads or campsites.

Happily, by the time the race came, the relevant parts of Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire were clear of foot-and-mouth disease with suspectible animals having already been put down some time beforehand. As a result, everyone was allowed to attend, but precautions were put in place to avoid contamination from areas where foot-and-mouth might still be.

The Spanish Grand Prix will probably have a similar multi-stage plan, the steps of which will be implemented depending on whether and to what extent the flu could endanger the health of race attendees. A total cancellation is extremely unlikely, but a certain level of inconvenience to spectators may well occur.

[DonTirri]

I would love to have BOTH of the spanish borefests cancelled.

no, seriously, neither Circuit de Catalunya nor Valencia are fit to host F1 imo.

[razta]

Bet it goes to Magny Course I know how much Jamie and Enoch hate the place.. from the podcasts that is.

[Captain Hammer]

I would love to have BOTH of the spanish borefests cancelled.

no, seriously, neither Circuit de Catalunya nor Valencia are fit to host F1 imo.

While I do think that Catalunya is pretty poor, I think Valencia should at least be given the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes you just have a bad race, and last year everyone sorted themselves out with the fastest out front and progressively slower ones at the back by the end of the first lap. That, combined with the new regulations, could mean that this year's race is much better.

But if not, I'd suggest a circuit Tilke designed in Aragon that actually looks pretty good and which a lot of people have sai is his best ever.

Bet it goes to Magny Course I know how much Jamie and Enoch hate the place.. from the podcasts that is.

The Spanish Grand Prix ... in France? I know the Indian Primer League is playing in South Africa, but this is getting a little out-of-hand ...

[LukeB]

Well we did used to have the San Marino GP in Italy.

[Yannick]

Imola was always called the San Marino GP to have an excuse for a 2nd race in Italy, much like the Luxemburg GP at the Nürburgring, the Pacific GP at Aida/Okayama and the Swiss GP at Dijon Prenois.

However, there could be a possibility of lending out a country's GP moniker to a circuit that pays better, if a national sporting body agrees. Imagine the French GP in Dubai. And the British GP moniker looks like it would be available soon, too.

[alvaro3d]

Maybe we'll get Mr. Floyd playing in the grid

[DP-Future F1 Reject]

http://www.f1way.com/news/2009/April/29/report---gp-but-no-spectators-in-spain

A Spanish GP without spectators? This would be perfect! Wait no pitbabes...that sucks.

[Captain Hammer]

A Spanish GP without spectators?

No spectators to watch a race with no passing. Has a kind of poetry to it.

[PayasYouDNPQ]

If the race is moved to a different country it could always take another name. After all, there were rumours about a month ago that Abu Dhabi might not be ready and Montreal would replace it. Obviously that would be with the Canadian Grand Prix name.

The last time a race was moved after the start of the season was the 1997 Portuguese Grand Prix. 5 points to whoever can tell me the name of the race that replaced it (easy)

[Faustus]

European Grand Prix at Jerez?

[PayasYouDNPQ]

European Grand Prix at Jerez?

Faustus gets 5 points. I would have given 10 but the question was not difficult enough to be 75% of a Grand Prix.