THE F1 COVID THREAD: Will GP be cancelled?

[S griffin]

It would be a nightmare for Silverstone’s management not to have a big crowd. Maybe they could have a word with the government. However I can’t see many reasons they couldn’t have at least a limited crowd there, as other motorsport events in this country now have crowds, including the prestigious BTCC

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

Unless they have had the foresight to apply to be a Govenment test event like the 2nd Test

Which is exactly what Autosport are reporting is the case:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1...ected/6568900/

Would still mean around 40,000 rather than 140,000, but less horrendous than it could be. They might also get an exemption since it's literally one day before the restrictions end.

[Anyopenroad]

Short statement from Silverstone:


"Following today’s announcement confirming that the easing of lockdown restrictions will be delayed by four weeks, we’d like to reassure you that we remain confident fans will be back at Silverstone for the 2021 Formula 1 British Grand Prix in July.

Our ongoing discussions with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, as well as Public Health England, are positive. We will communicate the full details with you once we have them."

[S griffin]

At least they will get a decent sized crowd, so it’s better than nothing. And yes it could help that it’s just before the final stage of restrictions is now due to end

[Adam43]

Some friends have tickets and they have been told it should be OK. Whether they can camp they don’t know yet…

I was meant to be going to, but canned that a long time ago as I guessed I wouldn’t be able to get to the UK.

[bella]

if silverstone are sensible they’ll be watching how the french gp goes ahead in great detail. they have three bubbles, enabling them to triple the maximum allowable capacity, and the french pass sanitaire is now working which iirc we’ll also have very shortly. it’s a centralised app designed for the event situation where you prove you’re either vaccinated, have tested negative or have recently had covid plus one dose of the vaccine.

if the french gp model of several bubbles whose paths never cross work it’s a very good precedent for silverstone to approach the government with. the place is even more ideally suited to it than ricard, although they’d need to do away with the park and ride system to maximise the benefit of many people travelling independently to the venue rather than on public transport.

[Casper]

Just an update on the situation in Oz

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fede...19-p582f3.html

[bathurst77]

so the aust pm is indicating the borders will remain shut till christmas. makes the gp seem highly unlikely

[Peter Mallett]

Silverstone appears to have obtained approval as a pilot event.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Silverstone appears to have obtained approval as a pilot event.

Question marks seem to remain about the separate campsites, but the events itself seems on.

[Dixie Flatline]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

so the aust pm is indicating the borders will remain shut till christmas. makes the gp seem highly unlikely

The borders were closed when the Australian Open was staged earlier this year, so theoretically, it could still proceed. The issue is the logistics of finding enough quarantine slots to allow the teams and officials to quarantine for two weeks before the race meet starts. I'm very doubtful that the Victorian Government will take the political heat for allowing so many people to take up space in hotel quarantine.

I had booked fantastic seats on the outside of turn 1 for last year's grand prix that I never got to sit in, but I'm doubtful that I will get to buy tickets for this year's race.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Dixie Flatline

The borders were closed when the Australian Open was staged earlier this year, so theoretically, it could still proceed. The issue is the logistics of finding enough quarantine slots to allow the teams and officials to quarantine for two weeks before the race meet starts. I'm very doubtful that the Victorian Government will take the political heat for allowing so many people to take up space in hotel quarantine.

I had booked fantastic seats on the outside of turn 1 for last year's grand prix that I never got to sit in, but I'm doubtful that I will get to buy tickets for this year's race.

The biggest issue is that 14 days before race day at Albert Park the F1 circus is racing in Brazil. By the time the teams arrived in Australia they would hve just over a week prior to presenting their cars for scrutineering.
If the 14 days quarantine requirement remains firm it is a physical impossibility.

F1 / the AGP Corp are placing all hope of the event running on the F1 teams being given either a short quarantine or a quarantine free 6 day in / out tight bubble, which is not going to happen. If only because they are arriving from Brazil, one of the world's most Covid ravaged populations.

[Alan52]

The biggest issue is F1 won’t do 14 days quarantine anywhere.The tennis players won’t do it again.
The Australian government is slowing down the vaccine roll out and opening up for political advantage leading into the next election.A significant number of people are quite happy for Australia to remain a hermit kingdom and anti vaxxers paradise.A poll published today showed large numbers want Australian citizens to be locked out or further restricted from returning to their own country.
Albert Park has no chance until late 2022.

[bella]

what are the job losses like in the tourist industry there?

[chavez]

Originally Posted by bella

what are the job losses like in the tourist industry there?

A loss of 5.1% from March 2020 to March 2021 compared to the economy as a whole of 1.5%.

https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/ec...latest-release

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by bella

what are the job losses like in the tourist industry there?

Less than you might think.Remember Australians are banned from leaving the country so domestic tourism is strong.They don’t spend as much as overseas tourists but on the other hand tend not to concentrate on the big attractions so regional tourism has been strong.

[Casper]

Most of the tourism industry is booming now the state borders are pretty well unrestricted and a lot of tourists are spending big in upmarket types of holidays. I am about to spend a week on Hamilton Island with our extended family and I will think of you all while sailing and sitting besides the pool. Sorry, I take that back, I won't think of you all . Life is tough and someone has to do it.

[bella]

that's interesting in a european context. how are the industries who'd normally rely on foreign holiday visa labour going on? are they managing to find enough folk locally?

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by bella

that's interesting in a european context. how are the industries who'd normally rely on foreign holiday visa labour going on? are they managing to find enough folk locally?

Farmers in particular who use backpacker or pacific islander labour for fruit picking and the like have been struggling to get labour at all and in some cases have had to plough crops back into the ground.

Of course, a lot of backpackers end up working casually in hospitality and I keep hearing that there is a shortage of staff there - hard to be sure as some States still have restrictions on how many people can use hospitality venues, so the staffing question is a bit hard to be exact about (less custom, less staff needed).

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Farmers in particular who use backpacker or pacific islander labour for fruit picking and the like have been struggling to get labour at all and in some cases have had to plough crops back into the ground.

Of course, a lot of backpackers end up working casually in hospitality and I keep hearing that there is a shortage of staff there - hard to be sure as some States still have restrictions on how many people can use hospitality venues, so the staffing question is a bit hard to be exact about (less custom, less staff needed).

In the red neck wonderland (Darwin) it is a continual complaint there are no casuals (backpackers) for hospitality.

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Farmers in particular who use backpacker or pacific islander labour for fruit picking and the like have been struggling to get labour at all and in some cases have had to plough crops back into the ground.

Of course, a lot of backpackers end up working casually in hospitality and I keep hearing that there is a shortage of staff there - hard to be sure as some States still have restrictions on how many people can use hospitality venues, so the staffing question is a bit hard to be exact about (less custom, less staff needed).

One of the major issues here is that these foreign guest workers have been paid at about 25% of the minimum wage in a lot of cases.Government has chosen to ignore it because the employers are a core part of their support.
Like anything you will find a wage where you will get people to do the job but this will be a multiple of what you’ve paid recently.That would flow on to food prices etc.
The same thing has happened in a lot of skilled occupations.The government has pursued a policy of importing skilled labour both as a method of wage suppression and to save them contributing to the cost of actually training people.

[bella]

that’s pretty much the story in the uk too. the staycation tourist industry is booming but the lack of mobility of foreigners is really hitting the service industry hard. partly down to brexit, but covid has made it incredibly difficult to relocate across the puddle. plus all the townies are moving into the country so the lower cost housing is disappearing too.

so really, australia (and the tourist industry - which relies on low cost labour) IS suffering from a lack of outsiders. they’ll put two and two together and figure that out soon i’m sure.

[djinvicta]

Spain is suffering too without its normal influx of holidaymakers. Benidorm is apparently a ghost town with hotels shut..

[Greem]

Small but grinding nit: a staycation is where you have time off but stay home.

Going anywhere else, even in the same country is simply a holiday!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Greem

Small but grinding nit: a staycation is where you have time off but stay home.

Going anywhere else, even in the same country is simply a holiday!

That's what I've always understood it to mean too!

If we take it a step further what would a Gocation be construed as meaning?