Formula 1 – record calendar despite pandemic: F1 steps on the accelerator

The corona virus continues to hold the world in a stranglehold, but Formula 1 is relying on gigantism in the crisis. More races are planned for 2021 than ever before. It’s going to be a balancing act.

Actually, it’s madness. The world is in a deep crisis, restrictions dominate the everyday life of most people – and Formula 1 wants to compete in more races than ever before. The calendar of the second Corona season includes 23 grands prix on five continents, which can only be explained with (purposeful) optimism.

“We are quite confident for the entire season,” said Formula 1 sports director Ross Brawn at Sky Sport F1 on the sidelines of the test drives: “In my opinion, we have survived the worst.” That’s why the watchword is: full throttle!

In fact, Formula 1 seems to be hovering a little above things. As the first global sports series, the motorsport premier class started operations last July after the corona paralysis. A highly complex system made up of countless bubbles, corona tests every five days at most, and entry restrictions made it possible to run 17 races without any notable incidents. Enough to be on the safe side, at least when it comes to TV revenues.

However, there shouldn’t be another year like this, the bare figures reveal that. According to the listed Formula 1 owner Liberty Media, revenue shrank by 43 percent to $ 1.145 billion in 2020. The deficit in the entry fees hit the office particularly hard: instead of 606 million dollars in 2019, the track operators only transferred 137 million to Formula 1. Often enough, the racing series itself had to pay for it to be allowed to drive.

Formula 1: Opening race with vaccinated fans

That should – and must also – change again in 2021. At the opening race in Bahrain on Sunday (5:00 p.m. CEST), those who have been vaccinated are allowed to go to the stands as well as people who have already been through a corona infection. Because more and more people are being vaccinated around the world, they want to be back in front of well-filled stands by the second half of the year at the latest.

And Formula 1 itself? A large part of the entourage has accepted the offer from the Kingdom of Bahrain to be vaccinated with the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer during the three-week stay from the test drives to the opening race.

“All members of our racing team have already been vaccinated once,” said Franz Tost, team principal of AlphaTauri, based in Faenza, Italy: “In Europe we don’t know how long we have to wait, so we are very grateful for this opportunity.” Large parts of the Ferrari crew also accepted the offer. Most racing teams did not want to express themselves specifically or referred to the individual freedom of choice.

Formula 1 for the first time in Saudi Arabia

Problems still remain. In June in Azerbaijan there will be driving in front of empty ranks, that is already fixed. Canada is known for its rigid border policy, and the race in Australia, which was originally scheduled to start in mid-March, has been postponed to November.

For China, the “motherland” of the coronavirus, they also want to find a place in the second half of the year. Nobody wants to rule out further postponements or even cancellations.

And: For the first time in Saudi Arabia, what has already called various human rights organizations on the scene. Formula 1 and its protagonists continue to consistently avoid such unpleasant topics. “We have signed a contract to drive everywhere. No one according to which we can have a say in where we drive,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.

Formula 1: The 2021 racing calendar at a glance