I just saw that Italy expanded travel restrictions throughout the country. Vietnam prohibits travelers from Italy. Recently, Ross Braun said if Ferrari can't participate then there's no race. It's not official, but the writing's on the wall.
I posted the BBC news update on the Virus thread here in F1. Getting from from any race for Ferrari will be interesting........or can they go home and leave again?
Cannt recall where I read it, but I seem to recall they went to aus early and planned not to return home between races; but this was only sustainable for so long! Time will tell.
If 'Ferrari' doesn't go home after Australia and Bahrain, they could still make the race. But who knows the virus' progression between now and April 5.
It would be a huge blow for Vietnam if their 1st GP was cancelled, after all the effort they did to make it happen. I can't see why the GP couldn't go ahead because one team isn't attending. 18 cars can still make an exiting race. Didn't they race with 6 cars only at Indy once?
2 teams. What if in a few months time the UK citizens have the same restrictions but Italy no longer have a corona problem should they just race with the 2 teams? All the teams were at that Indy race, they chose not to race. Big difference.
Someone said: "As long as you have 2 cars, you can have a race". If the FIA insists in having 20 cars on the grid at every race, and some sort of quarantine is imposed on different countries all through the year, there won't be much of a championship left ! They must find another system to satisfy the interests of the public and the teams.
Or the FIA could go back to the old scoring system when not all the races counted for the WDC. Only the 8 best results counted out of 10 races, or the best 10 out of 12, etc ... In those days, each team could miss 1 or 2 GP each year without penalty.
Not a bad idea. I recall the first GP I saw was a non championship race the very last one ever I think: the race of champions at Brands Hatch, April 10, 1983, a very unique race in many ways. I recall the hassle to get from London to Brands by public transport I was just 19, in contrast when I came back for the European Grand Prix on September 25 that same year I got a helicopter ride into the circuit via BMW Great Britain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Race_of_Champions
I was nto referring to races outside the world championship, but the scoring system that was used years ago, where only the best results counted for the WDC. Ex: 1958, 11 GPs, only 6 best results counted 1959, 8 GPs, only 5 best results counted 1960, 10 GPs, only 6 best results counted 1961, 8 GPs, only 5 best results counted 1962, 9 GPs, only 5 best results counted 1963-1965 , 10 GPs, only 6 better results counted 1966, 9 GPs, only 5 best results counted Etc, etc,… List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_World_Championship_points_scoring_systems In most seasons until 1990, only a certain number of a driver's best results were counted towards the World Championship. This made a difference to the outcome in 1988, when McLaren drivers Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost finished first and second respectively. Prost finished 14 races in either first or second, retiring from the other two, while Senna won 8 races to Prost's 7, meaning that he only needed 3 further 2nd places to secure the championship irrespective of Prost's other results. Senna succeeded in doing this and became champion, although Prost would have scored more points had all the races counted. In 1964 John Surtees became champion ahead of Graham Hill for the similar reason. If this system was reintroduced (even temporarily), it wouldn't penalise the teams unable to attend some races because of the virus epidemy.
Well, if there is not a compete field at all of the races this season, WDC and WCC will have an * next to their name. It was like Rocky to Clubber Lang, a paper champion. lol
Not really. Many championships in the past didn't have all the teams attending all the races, and they were not devalued for it. Some GPs were missed by teams that were not ready, or short of funds to travel, or after a fatal crash, etc ... In fact, some teams used not to attend the last GP(s), if they had already clinched the title. Ferrari comes to mind ... It's the quality of the racing that matters, not the number of cars, IMO.
That was the past. If it is the quality of racing, why have Williams, Haas... campaign a team? I think there should be an * for this season if a full field is not racing.
I had perfectly understood what you mentioned and yes if Ferrari for is forced to miss a couple of races this year due to Italy's virus situation then your idea would work as a new rule could deduct the two worst overall race results of every team... however if they have to miss more than that no good.
If that happens, F1 is doomed because many of the participants will not survive. Teams, sponsors, organisers and suppliers that have invested millions in this year's championship will have no return for it. F1 relies on a regular income, and if that dries up, some players may go bust and won't be there after the enforced rest.
With all the work restrictions in place in Italy (and maybe other places soon) how will teams develop their cars?
I was at that one too. What a disappointment. I flew in the night before with my daughter. I didn't pay attention to the controversy; literally did not know that all but 6 cars would leave the track after the formation lap.