Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus: Dutch GP stalled, 80-staff limit for teams at closed races

LONDON • The Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at Zandvoort has been postponed to next year because of the coronavirus pandemic, organisers confirmed yesterday.

The seaside circuit would have been a home race for Red Bull's Max Verstappen and the country's first since 1985, but the decision not to hold it this year means four of the season's planned 22 races have now been cancelled, including Australia, Monaco and France.

Dutch Grand Prix sports director Jan Lammers revealed the possibility of staging the race, originally set for May 3 before being indefinitely postponed, behind closed doors had been looked into. It was dismissed as an option as organisers wanted to commemorate the occasion.

"We were completely ready for this first race," he said. "We and F1 have investigated the potential to hold a rescheduled race this year without spectators, but we would like to celebrate this moment, the return of F1 in Zandvoort, together with our racing fans in the Netherlands... I had to look forward to it for 35 years, so I can wait another year."

Organisers added tickets - all 300,000 had been sold out - would remain valid for next year's race.

A further six grands prix remain on ice, but F1 has yet to publish a revised calendar. It hopes to start in Austria with two races behind closed doors and in carefully controlled conditions from July 3-5.

Those conditions include the holding of races behind closed doors, with the governing FIA yesterday announcing details of how many people will be allowed at any one circuit.

The 10 teams will be limited to a maximum of 80 people each and "no more than 60 of these personnel... may be associated in any way with the operation of the cars", with security, hospitality, media and other staff making up the rest.

F1 also said that team spending will be capped at US$145 million (S$206 million) for next year, US$140 million for 2022 and US$135 million for 2023 to 2025.

An FIA statement read: "The World Motor Sport Council has approved further changes to the regulations governing the F1 Championship, primarily due to the ongoing need to reduce costs and safeguard the sport in light of the Covid-19 pandemic."

It also agreed to a host of changes to technical and sporting regulations, including the introduction of a handicap system for aerodynamic development for next year.

Under the agreement, the lower a team finishes in the constructors' championship, the more wind tunnel time they will be allowed to use to develop their car the following year.

McLaren chief executive officer Zak Brown hailed the moves, saying "inaction would have risked the future of F1 and its participants".

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 29, 2020, with the headline Coronavirus: Dutch GP stalled, 80-staff limit for teams at closed races. Subscribe