Formula 1 2020 - General Discussion Thread (See MOD warning on first post)

GarIT

pjohnson wrote: »

If this is right I see it going like USA 2005

It's a game of political chicken. Liberty Media will have to refund Australia if they cancel. Rumour is that Liberty has insurance that covers the teams pulling out. If Melbourne/Australia cancel then they have to pay the bills.

There is currently a 2 seater Minardi doing laps of the track. Marshals and other staff are in place.

pyramuid man

Sky sports confirmed it is postponed this evening after a meeting of team principles.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/11956439/f1s-australian-gp-to-be-cancelled-after-coronavirus-case

GarIT

pyramuid man wrote: »

Sky sports confirmed it is postponed this evening after a meeting of team principles.

They have since deleted that I believe. Adam Cooper F1 says fans are being admitted to the track, everyone preparing as usual.

Maybe they haven't deleted it as seen in your edit, maybe it was a tweet they deleted.

Chris Medland says there are rumours the race will be cancelled but it is currently going ahead.

pyramuid man

GarIT wrote: »

They have since deleted that I believe. Adam Cooper F1 says fans are being admitted to the track, everyone preparing as usual.

Maybe they haven't deleted it as seen in your edit, maybe it was a tweet they deleted.

I know there are support races like V8 supercars which are still going ahead I believe. Looking at the V8 supercars teams on social media, it looks like they are ploughing on. Pity sky wouldn't show that instead. Some good elbows it racing.

GarIT

Numerous sources saying it's going ahead, one or two saying the F1 teams are arriving as usual.

Alfa Tauri mechanic has said they they are expecting confirmation either way in 30 mins, has been told to be prepared to start dismantaling but also to continue to set up at the moment.

Max Verstappens head mechanic is at the track to work and has said he has no idea what is happening.

tipp_tipp_tipp

This is nuts, such a typical F1 way of handling a crises

Harika

Latest rumours
Team's voted 5:5 so race will go ahead
Hamilton, Vettel and raikonnen on the way home

GarIT

BBC journalist are saying they can confirm Vettel and Raikkonen have already left Australia. Legally the race cannot be easily cancelled, verbally it has been cancelled.

https://clyp.it/aehvd2ep

BikeRacer

They've delayed opening the gates so fans are just waiting in limbo. 3 hours to FP1 and they've no idea what's going on. What a sh1tshow.

Itssoeasy

That priest in father Ted kicking a hole in the door and shouting "cowboys teds, cowboys" comes to mind.

GarIT

Alfa Romeo, Haas, Racing Point, Williams, AlphaTauri, Red Bull are at the track preparing for FP1, unknown where the rest are.

pjohnson

Raikkonen and Vettel are confirmed to have left Australia and rumours Hamilton has aswell.

Harika

Report from curfew - only 6 teams showed up and entered paddock. No
@McLarenF1
of course but
@ScuderiaFerrari
,
@MercedesAMGF1
and
@RenaultF1Team
absent

Harika

Race goes on, no spectators ... Well played

GarIT

Permier of Victoria Daniel Andrews says he gave the Grand Prix organisers the choice of a race without fans or no race but they haven't told the hundreds if not thousands of fans queuing outside now.

GarIT

Harika wrote: »

Race goes on, no spectators ... Well played

If it does we have two if not three drivers halfway to Abu Dhabi for their connecting flight. They wont get back before the end of FP2.


There are reports that Diamler, the owner of Mercedes, has decided Mercedes are not permitted to race regardless of circumstances.

Killinator

It's embarrassing at this stage!

AMKC

GarIT wrote: »

Permier of Victoria Daniel Andrews says he gave the Grand Prix organisers the choice of a race without fans or no race but they haven't told the hundreds if not thousands of fans queuing outside now.

Going to be an awful lot of very annoyed fans but its the right thing to do.

As for the small teams racing they are there now so you can't blame them. They might get some points.

Anyone here the joke about the British,

the Italian,

the German,

and the French

Cars.

No me either. I just wanted to but that there as that is where them 4 teams are from but 3 have bases in the U.K.

Just saying they are the big teams they can afford to miss races maybe the small teams can not.

BikeRacer

Andrew Benson/BBC just gave an update saying the race is called off, even if the organisers aren't admitting it. Farcical stuff

El_Duderino 09

Killinator wrote: »

It's embarrassing at this stage!

Well, it is and it isn't. It's not liberty media's job to worry about the spread of the virus. It's their job to make money. And presumably there is some legal brinkmanship in the background. Whoever blinks first, loses a lot of money. I don't expect to ever know the internal workings of the legal process.
I'll just go to sleep and see what's happened in the morning.

They all look stupid from our perspective right now, but not as stupid as they'd look when they'd have to go explain to their boss why they lost millions by not just holding out until the last minute.

AMKC

Are Netfliks recording all this? Going to make for an interesting if boring start to the season and that is only if F1 even gets a season this year. I think thy will be doing well to get 10 races this year.

Burkie1203

AMKC wrote: »

Are Netfliks recording all this? Going to make for an interesting if boring start to the season and that is only if F1 even gets a season this year. I think thy will be doing well to get 10 races this year.

I don't know about that. This sh1tshow is about 4 episodes worth

AMKC

This could be the end of F1 as we know it. Maybe they might have to re-brand and rename for next year.

tipp_tipp_tipp

Well i think they handled that well. Good night to you all and God bless!

Jordan 199

AMKC wrote: »

This could be the end of F1 as we know it. Maybe they might have to re-brand and rename for next year.

I don't think so.

AMKC

Jordan 199 wrote: »

I don't think so.

That's good so. It could be 3 months before the season starts.

muckwarrior

AMKC wrote: »

This could be the end of F1 as we know it. Maybe they might have to re-brand and rename for next year.

At least it's good to see that people aren't over reacting.

Jordan 199

AMKC wrote: »

That's good so. It could be 3 months before the season starts.

It could be. Nobody knows what's going to happen next so we'll just have to play the waiting game.

skipper_G

AMKC wrote: »

That's good so. It could be 3 months before the season starts.

We have no idea what will happen as these are unprecedented events. To claim it could end F1 as we know it seems like a massive over reaction. Would you say the same for all the other sporting events that have been impacted?

pyramuid man

I think if Bahrain goes ahead, the cars that show up in Europe or Canada or wherever the next race is, will be very different. 3 months to develop the car without having to go to races is a lot.

Looking at the calendar, I'd say Azerbaijan may be next. Hard to think Netherlands and Spain will go ahead.