GP may not get off line
The British Grand Prix isn’t a certainty even with empty stands, admits Silverstone supremo Stuart Pringle.
Formula One bosses plan to start the new season, put on hold by the pandemic, with two races behind closed doors in Austria in early July before potentially two more at Silverstone.
The Northamptonshire track is geared up for any call that racing should only go ahead behind closed doors.
But there are still security issues casting real doubt on whether the events could be given the go-ahead at all.
Managing director Pringle said: “I’m very clear we cannot be any sort of burden or have the slightest impact on (the emergency services or NHS resources). If we are, this is not going to happen.”
Pringle stresses that, in other respects, Silverstone is in good shape to play its part in F1’s plans to restart.
He said: “I’m confident we could operate well within F1’s decision-making cycle but they are the ones who’ve got to make the decision.
“The end of April deadline for us was if we had to start putt ing up temporary infrastructure for hospitality and dealing with the public.
“We are only working on fixed infrastructure now so it’s an awful lot less to do.”
F1 insiders have spoken of teams staying at secure hotels with no interaction with local residents as well as no media access. Pringle said Silverstone, a home race for seven of the 10 F1 teams, could offer that security.
He said: “There has been talk about the need for sites to be a bit like an island – to be controlled. We can achieve that.
“We have all the facilities we need inside the circuit with the exception of a complete hotel. We have a half-built hotel if that helps.”
F1 MD Ross Brawn wants to create a “kind of biosphere” at circuits, getting everyone entering tested and cleared for coronavirus then kept in a controlled environment.
Brawn said: “Austria fits that bill. It’s got an airport next to the circuit and great infrastructure around it.”