THE F1 COVID THREAD: Will GP be cancelled?

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

Wasn't there a Smog/Fog issue that effected an F1 event, that meant the Medical Helicopter whilst able to fly at the venue, the designated hospital's landing pad was below safe operating so the events at the circuit had to stop?

indeed.

Shanghai a few years back where a few sessions were canceled - 2017 maybe...i pretty sure thats where i first read about securing road and helicopter access to the designated hospital rule.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

I thought it might have been the Chinese GP, but didn't want to name the venue without being sure.

[crmalcolm]

It almost happened in 2015 at Singapore.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ay-Circuit/amp

[coppice]

It happened at qualifying /practice for British GP 1985 at Silverstone too. But not smog , just poor visibility from very low cloud . And Silverstone is far higher up than might be imagined - 500 feet .

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

...I expect the number of associated things to be lined up in advance is larger than many think...

side thought...there are so many super knowledgeable fans here all bringing their own memories and knowledge base to each discussion and still, you are so right to say it/allude to it, we are still probably only scratching the surface in things that need to be addressed before a race can happen.

i cant imagine how BE did it on the back of napkin let alone how a team of people will have to do it during a global pandemic. im sure if we can think of a potential issue here or there but people like Agag are actually dealing with it and one would hope they are already working on practical ways to address any of these issues.

i should have included this in my earlier post as i do actually have respect for those actively engaged in dealing with the real issues of getting things back to normal (as opposed to the protesters out there just yelling at others about going back to work without putting any thought into how that would happen).

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

side thought...there are so many super knowledgeable fans here all bringing their own memories and knowledge base to each discussion and still, you are so right to say it/allude to it, we are still probably only scratching the surface in things that need to be addressed before a race can happen.

i cant imagine how BE did it on the back of napkin let alone how a team of people will have to do it during a global pandemic. im sure if we can think of a potential issue here or there but people like Agag are actually dealing with it and one would hope they are already working on practical ways to address any of these issues.

i should have included this in my earlier post as i do actually have respect for those actively engaged in dealing with the real issues of getting things back to normal (as opposed to the protesters out there just yelling at others about going back to work without putting any thought into how that would happen).

The problem is still what I have come back to before is that F1's business model has been compromised and probably in the long term. I have 20 years experience in events - motoring and motorsport, I have run events on circuits, I have run events at all sorts of venues, I am still in this business and yes we have postponed events to 2021.

I can tell you that what makes events easier to manage is the number of elements you have under your control. What FOM has is a pandemic which is entirely unpredictable and 20 governments who have other priorities - saving the lives of their own people.

Aside from this FOM has a 'product' but owns no content (teams) or suppliers (circuits) and run events that they don't promote or market (leaving it to the suppliers) to a customer they have no direct access to - the viewer is 'owned' by the pay TV company, the cutomer (ticket buyer) is owned by the circuit.

So, let's examine this - I have paid $4.5bn for F1, but I don't own the content or suppliers and I don't have the viewer or the customer on my books either.

What has surprised me about Liberty Media, which is surely about media/content and bringing American know how, is that they have stuck to BE's model that goes back literally 40 years and has been driving into a wedge for the last 10 years. BE's model of chasing around the globe to yet another country that could unaccountably throw public money at a vainglorious project to put them on the world stage is outdated, coronavirus will only accelerate this.

What FOM is finding now that in this effective crisis management situation they are dealing with 20 promoters, what FOM needs to be is THE promoter, hire the circuit, own the data of the ticket holders, own the promotion of F1 globally. At the moment they have 20 'representatives' promoting F1 to varying degrees.

Imagine if you have an F1 identity and marketing campaign that works across all races, you have effectively FREE massive back story and heritage of F1- historic, world famous circuits a back story of drivers from Fangio to Hamilton, you could have 2 or 3 million database of ticketholders to 'mine' for sponsors. Ultimately you have control, FOM could make the call now to run races behind closed doors without dealing with individual promoters.

To me, F1 has always been a disjointed and missed opportunity to present a collective F1 to the world and build a totally owned and managed F1 business, simply by being THE circuit hirer and THE promoter.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Agag boss of Formula E, says racing should come back ASAP, even if it's behind closed doors, so more people would have reason to stay in and watch sport, thus seeing less people break the lockdowns

So I was curious to find the full details on this. First, the lead in would be this news item from about five days ago.

https://www.autosport.com/fe/news/14...d-through-june

This includes a quote from FE CEO Jamie Reigle:

We aim to return to racing as soon as possible, but our priority in all decision-making must be the health and safety of our staff and the entire Formula E community of teams, manufacturers, partners, drivers and fans, as well as the citizens and residents of the cities in which we race.

My opinion, that is a quite sane and realistic viewpoint. I suspect Mr. Reigle is more involved in the day to day operations and understands what is going on. Specifically all of the items that need to be solved to make it happen. Including the health and safety related roadblocks.

The Agag news item is newer.

https://www.autosport.com/fe/news/14...people-indoors

Quote from FE Chairman Alejandro Agag:

Even if it's behind closed doors, and I think we'll have to be behind closed doors, people need entertainment while they're at home.

If you give them football, if you give them motorsport, if you give them reasons to stay at home, they will stay more happier at home.

If you don't give them anything, if you don't give them entertainment, the risk of people breaking the confinement is higher.

Sport has a big role to play.

So, my opinion (probably not welcome here) is that he is trying to be positive (which is fine as a businessman), but also highly self serving and quite out of touch with reality.

I frankly think his comments about sports (in particular FE) to the rescue and a way to keep people indoors is just completely ridiculous. I think people like Reigle are working to get it back ASAP while Agag is throwing out pointless "I want a pony" quotes.

Richard

[thetool]

I look forward to the first government that condones a major sporting event (even without spectators) whilst at the same time telling the general public they can't play sports. Having professional football on at a time when kids aren't allowed to play it in the park is just not going to work.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by thetool

I look forward to the first government that condones a major sporting event (even without spectators) whilst at the same time telling the general public they can't play sports. Having professional football on at a time when kids aren't allowed to play it in the park is just not going to work.

Why? If you can't understand the difference between a major managed event and random people together? It's not hard to get at all. And much easier to manage than motorsport. Less than ideal yes, but much of life is less than ideal so pretending ONLY what happened before can be allowed isn't even childish thinking. It's Trumpian. Things will be different and expectations need to be shifted.

Major international motorsport is probably done for 2020 and impacted for 21. Sadly yes, there will be job and team losses but finding a government ready to allow a sport that requires medical intervention in place? I know many will want to but can they? Sadly I think very doubtful even here in the US.

[thetool]

It's maybe a culture thing. In the UK it's just not feasible.

[bella]

Originally Posted by thetool

I look forward to the first government that condones a major sporting event (even without spectators) whilst at the same time telling the general public they can't play sports. Having professional football on at a time when kids aren't allowed to play it in the park is just not going to work.

thing is.... legislation wise, particularly in europe and probably the states as well, it's just a workplace. they'll really struggle to ban a motorsport event with no spectators if they're allowing people to use public transport (with or without masks) or return to work in places like warehouses.

[thetool]

Originally Posted by bella

thing is.... legislation wise, particularly in europe and probably the states as well, it's just a workplace. they'll really struggle to ban a motorsport event with no spectators if they're allowing people to use public transport (with or without masks) or return to work in places like warehouses.

Depends on the view their insurers take too. Even after official restrictions are lifted I can see public liability insurance being a problem for a lot of events.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

What has surprised me about Liberty Media, which is surely about media/content and bringing American know how, is that they have stuck to BE's model that goes back literally 40 years and has been driving into a wedge for the last 10 years. BE's model of chasing around the globe to yet another country that could unaccountably throw public money at a vainglorious project to put them on the world stage is outdated, coronavirus will only accelerate this.

i have to admit i find it surprising as well. it is very un-nfl like. actually unlike most other major sports which effectively try to control everything up and down stream.

and hadn't even thought about what happens post covid when countries decide they need their public funds for other things.

if i went back in this thread there would probably be a quote from me saying gov't will want to encourage sports to come back as a way of stimulating the economy...but surely there are many other sports which could fill this need and do so at a much lower cost to either of our country's coffers.

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

...you could have 2 or 3 million database of ticketholders to 'mine' for sponsors...

just to cherry pick this one line but if F1 did this they would probably find out just how much everyone hates Heineken!

seriously though and just speaking for myself, i have always felt that for the most part, F1 sponsors dont connect with me in any meaningful way.

if anything, while i desperately want the sport to come back, one of the effects of Covid on me is that now more then ever i am more acutely aware of how useless and unnecessary (to me) most brands associated with F1 are.

if LVMH goes bust during this time then i could care less but i understand that they are important to some teams. there is a point in there somewhere but im not entirely sure what it is or how to make it...

but there is just something utterly absurd about 3 drivers, one team rep, and some useless local politician standing on a podium spraying Moet & Chandon on each other in front of no fans.

its been many years in the making but without a doubt this is the definition of an existential crisis.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

but there is just something utterly absurd about 3 drivers, one team rep, and some useless local politician standing on a podium spraying Moet & Chandon on each other in front of no fans.

It has effectively happened plenty of times before at some of the less traditional venues...

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by thetool

Depends on the view their insurers take too. Even after official restrictions are lifted I can see public liability insurance being a problem for a lot of events.

If there are no public there I’m sure they can negotiate something with their underwriters.

[S griffin]

Imola has announced it would like to host a closed door GP. Seems it is eager to get back on the calendar again

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Imola has announced it would like to host a closed door GP. Seems it is eager to get back on the calendar again

IIRC the paddock is tiny, there isn’t a lot of spectator access, and there aren’t too many local hotels so might be all they can do these days anyway!

[Greem]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

Utter insanity. Any science to back any of these extreme measures up?

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...ms_142989.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.tec...n-germany/amp/

Edited to add links. Could provide others, depending on what sources people believe to be credible. Second link indicates death rate of .37%. Common flu is .1%. Do we shut down global economy for flu? Should we for .37%?

I know I'm a day late (and several dollars short) but the quoted statistics *include the preventative measures that we're all bemoaning*

With zero intervention, we simply don't know what the fatality rate would be.

In general, I'd compare the angst about lockdown to two things: the mandatory wearing of seatbelts, and the Millennium Bug.

In the UK at least, the first one saw massive anger and resistance from those who "knew better" and a (now rather dodgy) ad campaign aimed at kids to get them to force their parents to "Clunk-Click, Every Trip". Deaths of car occupants from road accidents fell immediately.

The second one saw leagues of people work their arses off for two or three years to make sure nothing went wrong at midnight as the clocks rolled into 2000 - I got paid a daft amount and got 3 extra days off to spend 15 minutes checking a part of the UK universities' network hadn't fallen over after midnight as one example - but I'd spent over a year forcing clock changes on devices and weeding out those that couldn't deal with it. Then nothing happened (apart from the few things that genuinely did break) and to this day people still say it was all overblown and not necessary.

If we had not implemented any restrictions at all then we'd all be in a far worse place now, but we'll never know how much worse. That "not knowing" seems to be the psychological barrier for many people as they equate it with "it's all a waste of time".

Anyway... I raced my dog earlier to catch a ball. She won.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by peebee2

IIRC the paddock is tiny, there isn’t a lot of spectator access, and there aren’t too many local hotels so might be all they can do these days anyway!

Trying to think if there is a circuit in a more remote location. There was one F1 raced on in Japan in the mid 90s, but it’s not worth it if we have to race on that circuit again....

Magny Cours is also quite remote too IIRC

[peebee2]

Algarve is well remote. But it’s too bumpy!

[Casper]

This is not going to be popular but I believe that anyone who is absolutely dependent on watching sport on TV for entertainment has got a very narrow viewpoint on leisure time and needs to look further into alternatives. I have had motor sport as a hobby both as a participant and viewer for over 50 years but in all that time it was only one of my interests and in the current crisis I have plenty to do at home and whether F1 races or not is just not that important. As some would say, get a life and do something else in the mean time. I am sure some people will decide to do that and F1 will be less important to them when it returns.

[Adam43]

That’s all a bit silly. I don’t think we are talking about “absolutely”.

Many people would love to watch a race right now. (Or game etc...). It would be something nice to do.

A lot of other interests are limited too at the moment. So enabling one interest would be good.

Yeah, got other things to do. I too am amazing in that I have more than one interest. Not everyone has that luxury and a bit of sport would be just the ticket for an hour or two distraction.

Also anything that can promote some activity, even with constraints, is good for promoting stimulus on many levels.

And maybe with a break the heart might grow fonder for some. Even people with more than one interest.

It doesn’t mean sport is important. Quite the opposite, which I feel is the point.

[S griffin]

I agree that us missing racing will make us enjoy it more in the future, as the old adage absence makes the heart grow fonder shows. For all we criticise F1, it's something a lot of us petrolheads can't do without. In fact any motorsport for that matter

[RED55]

This current situation is the reset F1 needs , in simple terms , it is a guest on this planet like the rest of us , in order for it to stay it has to prove it is worthy , it needs to bring people off their chairs and not send them to sleep , shorter races , festival style weekends , less people on pit stops , shrink the silly hospo units in the paddock , , I don t see the point in running behind closed doors when its a sport that is full of sound ,smells and visual amazement , anyone who sees the cars up close go through a series of bends stuck to the floor like glue , knows that you dont see any of that on TV , the good example of how it needs to be for TV is the Arnoux vs Villenueve battle in france , that was edge of the seat stuff ,it certainly isnt anything like that now.

[coppice]

I will watch motor sport on TV , but only F1 . That's because, warts and all , it is still the pinnacle of the sport,and the production values of F1 coverage are very high. But that is all I watch - I fall asleep at the rest . Poor commentary , hyped up excitement and jeopardy and often awful circuits with zero atmosphere(just about anything in mid or far east , except Japan) .



I am watching some Youtube stuff in lockdown - but quirky things like drag racing from Hicksville Arkansas and far prefer the down home feel to BTCC panto . In car historic stuff too- I adored some footage of a screaming Ferrrai 333SP at Ricard .



But TV - any TV - is , ultimately , just watching telly. In happier times I'd be fly fishing on my beloved Yorkshire streams at least 3 days a week , and most weekends I'd be at a race meeting, hill climb, drag meet etc anywhere in the UK . Mainly day trips from up north , but with weekends at Silverstone , Brands and Goodwood and some writing about events . And a few long road trips - dawn starts , top down and a day's driving fun in the Borders .



I freely admit to missing it all hugely and I cannot bloody wait to get away from my telly and desktop !