Horner: F1 will survive coronavirus crisis

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is convinced Formula 1 will “survive” beyond the coronavirus crisis.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the 2020 F1 schedule with the opening eight rounds of the season being postponed or cancelled.

Amid uncertainty about when the season will be able to start and a lack of racing, concern is growing over how badly the teams will be impacted financially and how hard the sport will be hit.

F1 has already taken measures to ease the burden and save costs, having brought forward the summer break and agreed to delay the introduction of the planned technical regulation overhaul for 2021 by a further year until 2022.

"F1 is a very strong business and it's got enormous heritage - F1 will survive this" Horner told the BBC.

"Whether all the teams survive this is another matter, and it is the responsibility of all the team principals to act with the interests of the sport and all its participants [in mind], to do our best to ensure all 10 teams come out the other side.

"The difference in 2008 was we were still racing, there was still a calendar, there were still events. You could see the issue more clearly, whereas here we are more blind.

"When will we start racing again? It's a different scenario. 2008 had its pressures and the people in the room at that time - Ron Dennis, Flavio Briatore and so on - were thinking about the interests of the sport and it is crucial we do that collectively at this time.

"The world is a different place at the moment. Of course revenue is hit very hard. We don't know how hard it will hit F1 yet.”

F1 chiefs are still hopeful of holding 15-18 races and are targeting beginning the campaign at “some point” during the summer months.

Revisions made by the FIA last week means championship bosses can now make changes to the calendar without needing to hold a vote on the matter.

While Horner is unsure when the season will realistically be able to get underway, he insists he is not majorly concerned about the position of F1 owners Liberty Media despite the US group being leveraged with debt.

"All the teams have been reacting responsibly and collectively,” Horner explained. “Obviously some teams are more exposed than others, particularly the small ones, and it's important that we try our best to protect the F1 community as best we can.

"To be honest, the Liberty structure is quite complicated and you can only imagine that Live Nation, the owner, is also taking a hit on the events business.

"But they have deep pockets as well. And they have always taken a long-term view on this. I think they will do whatever is needed to ensure the sport continues."