China Off!!!

[WeirdKerr]

Breaking..... https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.chinese-grand-prix-postponed-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak.3g2y5Ngyrk1MbNxQB9hj4s.html

[Rob Dylan]

Not necessarily off, but certainly postponed. The next few months will tell a lot I guess. If Coronavirus is hysteria then it will go ahead at the end of the year sometime like in the old days, or if the virus does stay I guess we have to wait until next year.

[Nuppiz]

To be honest, the calendar is so packed for this year that it would be very hard to find a suitable slot where the race could be postponed to. Whatever little options there are will end up pissing some people off really badly, or at the very least cause a logistical nightmare.

[UncreativeUsername37]

To be honest, the calendar is so packed for this year that it would be very hard to find a suitable slot where the race could be postponed to. Whatever little options there are will end up pissing some people off really badly, or at the very least cause a logistical nightmare.

I was going to say the same thing. Here are two, let's say, quite popular sites going through why each alternative wouldn't work:
https://www.racefans.net/2020/02/12/analysis-the-four-alternative-dates-for-chinas-postponed-f1-race/
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/chinese-gp-reschedule-struggle-2020/4681134/

[Francis23]

Can't see it being rearranged tbh, the only logistically realistic time would be the summer break, and even then there's no guarantee the virus would be less of an issue then...in addition to high average temperatures in Shanghai. Autumn is too logistically challenging and having a stand alone in December would affect 2021 prep, in addition to it being chilly. Also willing to bet that no other country will be willing to swap or move their race to accommodate it.

[CaptainGetz12]

If the virus remains a problem, won't the Vietnam GP be at risk? ANd hopefully it died down enough that it wouldn't affect the SIngapore and Japanese GPs.

[dr-baker]

Equally, there's no further news on Australia and its fire situation. If Oz is cancelled or postponed, they surely would struggle to reschedule both races. Or three races if Vietnam is affected too. Autosport says a farming region of 10000 people is currently in quarantine just 25 miles from Hanoi (40 km).

[Rob Dylan]

Looks like an old-fashioned 14-race championship is back on the menu, people!

[dr-baker]

Autosport is reporting that Imola is offering to host a replacement race for China, saying they are ready to go. Only obvious hurdles being negotiating a race-hosting fee and selling enough tickets.

[Francis23]

2020 San Marino Grand Prix could be a goer everyone...

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/14829 ... chinese-gp

[Rob Dylan]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssss

[yannicksamlad]

Imola is very good in many ways. I've been there for the Historic Minardi days a couple of times . So close to the town, and some great corners, but wow it'd be pretty fast . Without the variante Bassa it's a long blast to turn 1 these days.

[WeirdKerr]

2020 San Marino Grand Prix could be a goer everyone...

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/14829 ... chinese-gp

well that's not gonna happen now that covid-19 has struck Northern Italy...…

[dr-baker]

2020 San Marino Grand Prix could be a goer everyone...

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/14829 ... chinese-gp

well that's not gonna happen now that covid-19 has struck Northern Italy...…

Unless it gets held somewhere else like Nurburgring or Donington Park?

[Wallio]

Unless it gets held somewhere else like Donington Park?

Yes please! I'll behave!

[Rob Dylan]

"Welcome to the 2020 San Marino Grand Prix, here at beautiful Donington Park!"

[yannicksamlad]

Donington! Oh I enjoyed that.

And has it improved since I went to see Renault World Series there? Traffic was bad , and facilities were not good . And viewing wasnt very good either , to be honest (although I didnt get all round the track) . I think MSV have spent some money recently , so I'll assume the facilities are better, but generally...rated against Brands is it better?

[dr-baker]

Donington! Oh I enjoyed that.

And has it improved since I went to see Renault World Series there? Traffic was bad , and facilities were not good . And viewing wasnt very good either , to be honest (although I didnt get all round the track) . I think MSV have spent some money recently , so I'll assume the facilities are better, but generally...rated against Brands is it better?

In recent years, I have only been for Formula E testing and a BTCC media day. Last time, Motorsport Vision had not long before bought the place, and had only just started upgrading the place. So basically, can't answer your question. Access may well be an issue, as it is not yet a dual carriageway between the circuit and the motorway.

[sswishbone]

Looks like races may be cancelled if travel restrictions are imposed: -


https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/148530/brawn-no-f1-races-if-teams-restricted-by-coronavirus


Wait and see on this one guys

[sswishbone]

Yup, race to be held behind closed doors due to the virus: -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/51789298

[Rob Dylan]

Funny, I can see a lot of races doing this. But I just wonder about the tracks and circuits which aren't funded by Middle-Eastern oligarchs. I wonder if they can afford either not to run or not to have visitors for even a year. Some like Silverstone are always so "on the edge" with money, that a year without the British GP might just sink them without more funding, surely?

And yeah I guess they'll save a lot of money on tear gas this year then.

[sswishbone]

Exactly that Rob, Spa wouldn't have a chance, I imagine Canada would baulk, Silverstone always complain about costs, Mexico have not had it easy... Could be serious threat this.

[WeirdKerr]

merge this thread with the china off one please?

[WeirdKerr]

So far that's the First 7 races either cancelled or postponed.....
Monaco cancelled entirely

[dinizintheoven]

Today's Sesame Street has been brought to you by the letters W, T and F.

[Enforcer]

Nice. We get to have a Reject of the Race even though there wasn't a race.

It's not that I don't understand the thinking behind it, it's just trivialising the whole thing by saying: "ah get it now, to get it over and done with. You'll be grand. Sure aren't you young & healthy?" Not to mention that I don't think we're actually sure if getting once means you can't get it again if there's another wave of it.

[Barbazza]

I've always said that Marko's a nasty piece of work, finally here's irrefutable evidence.

[mario]

Nice. We get to have a Reject of the Race even though there wasn't a race.

It's not that I don't understand the thinking behind it, it's just trivialising the whole thing by saying: "ah get it now, to get it over and done with. You'll be grand. Sure aren't you young & healthy?" Not to mention that I don't think we're actually sure if getting once means you can't get it again if there's another wave of it.

Not only that, but then not thinking through the implications of having a number of individuals who could act as carriers and potentially cause a widespread outbreak of the disease amongst the rest of the team, or potentially even across the wider paddock if this had happened in the run up to the Australian GP.

Not only are there some rather serious ethical questions about his plan, some have raised the question of whether Marko's proposals could even be considered a criminal act in some jurisdictions if he was knowingly allowing his drivers to contract covid-19.

It does make you wonder whether Red Bull are going to stand by him now that he's gone public with this idea, as you know it is going to raise a lot of negative press - and it's a shame that it's happening right at the time that there had been the good news story that the first sets of breathing assistance kits developed with the help of teams in F1 were just being trialled for use in the UK.

[Fetzie]

Deliberately infecting people with a disease can land you in prison for up to 5 years in Germany. I'm not sure about Austria, but I'd imagine it is fairly similar.

[dinizintheoven]

And in the bid to upstage Helmut Marko from the throne of "least popular person who has anything to do with the world of F1, past and present, however tenuous", we have some new challengers.

Always remember to fill out a COSHH form before throwing chairs across the room in an explosion of rage.

[dr-baker]

Always remember to fill out a COSHH form before throwing chairs across the room in an explosion of rage.

Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health? Makes me think you might work in a Chemistry lab. Or you are recreating Braking Bad.

[Fetzie]

Always remember to fill out a COSHH form before throwing chairs across the room in an explosion of rage.

Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health? Makes me think you might work in a Chemistry lab. Or you are recreating Braking Bad.

TBF a chair flying across a room can definitely be hazardous to health.