F1 INSIDER
COVID calendar changes and sprint races
Barring the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will take place behind closed doors, Formula 1 will now not leave the boundaries of Europe until at least September, when the Russian Grand Prix is due to take place. The Canadian Grand Prix scheduled for 11-13 June has been cancelled and replaced by a stand-in event at Turkey’s Istanbul Park, which also hosted a round last year.
It’s the second time the Montréal event has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this latest development comes against a background of rising cases in Canada. Authorities have imposed travel restrictions which would have required F1 personnel to observe a 14-day quarantine period upon entry – not possible since the Azerbaijan GP falls the previous weekend.
GP Racing understands the call had to be made early since various infrastructure items, including the tyres, were due to depart for Canada by sea freight in late April. F1 also confirmed it had reached an agreement with the local promoter to extend Montréal’s contract by two years, taking the event to 2031.
“While it is disappointing we cannot be in Canada this season, we are excited to confirm that Turkey will host a grand prix in 2021 after an amazing race last season,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. “I want to thank the promoter and authorities in Canada for all their efforts in recent weeks but the travel situation made our plans impossible.”
Canada may not be the only flyaway round to drop off the calendar this year as the pandemic situation – and the response from governments around the world – remains fluid. In Mexico and Brazil the virus is far from under control and Brazil is currently on the UK government’s ‘red list’ of countries, which requires arrivals to the UK to undergo a 14-day hotel quarantine.
Since the majority of F1 teams are located in the UK, this will be problematic in terms of getting personnel to the following rounds if Brazil remains on the red list. The United Arab Emirates is also currently on the list although, since it hosts the final race of the season, postevent quarantine would be less disruptive – merely causing inconvenience and expense.
Other flyaway destinations not on the red list have immigration measures of their own which would make their events untenable unless F1 personnel were granted exemptions
IN MEXICO AND BRAZIL THE VIRUS IS FAR FROM UNDER CONTROL AND BRAZIL IS CURRENTLY ON THE UK GOVERNMENT’S
‘RED LIST’ OF COUNTRIES
– which is unlikely. Australia, for instance, also requires a hotel quarantine and did not lift it for the Open tennis tournament in March. Singapore and Japan also have curbs on entry, to the extent that Tokyo’s summer Olympics is currently under threat.
Amid all this uncertainty, F1 has been pressing on with plans for the 2022 season and has finally been able to confirm a 10-year deal on its long-held ambition, a second Us-based race in Miami. No date has yet been specified for the event beyond Domenicali’s announcement that it would take place in the “second quarter” of next year.
F1 has to trade off logistical expediency with promoters’ requirements not to dilute the
audience, so the Miami round is more likely to fit in around the Canada’s June slot than form a back-to-back with the US GP in Texas near the end of the season. The proposed venue is also different to the one outlined in 2018, which took in elements of the downtown area and passed over one of the bridges across the bay. That project was delayed and finally scuppered by political manoeuvrings and objections from local stakeholders.
The race will now take place near the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, north of downtown and home to the Miami Dolphins NFL team. F1 presented the outline of a 3.36-mile circuit which partially encloses the stadium and places the pit complex along its northern edge.
“It is not a compromise,” insisted Domenicali. “When you look for different solutions, you need to consider all the elements that make everyone happy. I am sure the track you are going to see will be fantastic.”
“In some ways it is going to be a lot better [than the original proposal],” said Miami Dolphins chairman Tom Garfinkel. “When we originally looked at the city design, you have a lot of constraints around the race track. The first priority was to create a great race track, and with the Hard Rock site we have a blank sheet of paper to put together a track that is demanding in a lot of ways and to put on great experiences that are uniquely reflective of the diversity of Miami.”
Domenicali also confirmed a three-year extension to Suzuka’s contract to host the Japanese GP, taking it to 2024.