Austrian authorities begin paving way to make F1 opener happen

After Chase Carey declared his intention to get the 2020 Formula 1 season underway with the Austrian Grand Prix on July 3-5, authorities in the country have now publicly acknowledged their support to facilitate it going ahead.

The Red Bull Ring round has been highlighted as the most logical starting point for F1 and potentially also MotoGP in August with an event held without spectators and with as fewer team personnel and crew as is possible after Austria began easing its lockdown restrictions last week.

The ambitious plan is set to hinge on the steps F1 can take to ensure the risk of catching or transmitting the COVID-19 coronavirus is minimised, both in terms of the event itself, as well as entering and leaving the country.

With Austria enforcing a two-week quarantine period for newcomers, F1 is expected to pursue the route of providing test kits and health certification for travelling members to ease their passage.

Though the plans have been greeted with some scepticism, F1 nonetheless has the influential support of Austria’s Minister Werner Kogler. While he stopped short saying his views are declaration of full government support, he says the consensus is that authorities want it to go ahead so long as the aforementioned conditions can be met satisfactorily.

"The following was important to me: that the rules were followed in the same way there and that the operators of this race get all the information they need for it,” he told Austrian broadcaster ORF. “We have already submitted a few things, the information from the Ministry of Health."

"One only has to point out that the difficulties there are perhaps less in two-meter intervals than that entry and exit regulations have to be taken into account and that this is a larger group that arrives here."