FIA President Warns of Covid Disruptions in 2021

Disruptive scheduling isn’t ending for Formula One over the upcoming year. The FIA President has issued warnings to F1 personnel that additional disruptions are anticipated for the 2021 campaign, as cases worldwide are increasing & mutations of Covid-19 are spreading throughout the European Union. FIA President Jean Todt believes it’ll be another six months before operations can sustain normalcy.

Warnings were issued to prepare teams for the worst-case scenarios, with last year seeing events delayed from March to July 2020. Timeframes between seasonal events in 2019 to 2020 were the longest seen in Formula One history for decades. Standard operations were being maintained at 2020s season opener in Melbourne. Cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix would be announced minutes into FP1 because a McLaren teammate contracted Covid-19. Postponements were lengthened as internal infections grew, with FIA & F1 personnel unable to resume operations until July.

Formula One & the Formula International Association were praised for locating venues that cost hold a seasonal campaign of seventeen races. All 17 Grand Prix’s were hosted in five months, marking the shortest season in Formula One history in three decades. Announcements issued by FIA President Jean Todt were made at the “FIA 2020 World Awards”. He’d make the announcement minutes after Lewis Hamilton thanks to the Formula International Association with awarding him “Personality of the Year” and tying him alongside Michael Schumacher.

Dark Warnings

Jean Todt stated to viewers & attendees that lockdowns are inevitable for 2021, that confinement of team personnel will be needed. FIAs President remarked that he doesn’t believe next season will be regular like everyone desires, that there’ll be progress but at slow rates. It’ll be sometime before Formula One drivers & team personnel receive the Covid-19 vaccination, meaning the coronavirus is likely to still transmit to paddock members over the next year. Jean Todt promised the FIA would work diligently to eliminate infections.