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1
« Last post by John S on March 28, 2020, 03:16:15 PM »
I kinda know where you're coming from Jeri but a bit of positivity at the moment gives folks something to aim towards.
This pandemic will end, this we are sure of, so why not make provisional plans - hell most people have nothing else to do presently. …… If it's too soon - well just move it down the line again.
2
« Last post by Jericoke on March 28, 2020, 12:29:39 PM »
I'm not sure why anyone announces new dates for things.
We still have no idea when things are going to return to 'normal'.
Especially Indy, when you own the track and the series, you don't really have to worry about finding a time to do anything, just do it when you're ready.
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« Last post by John S on March 27, 2020, 12:13:21 PM »
Take a trip down memory lane with some pretty crazy ideas/innovations from the biggest brains of F1.
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Aaand because I've only just noticed the question (Alianora, pay more attention in future!):
The minimum number of races in a championship for it to be classed as a valid international FIA championship is 8. That's in the regulations. So from the FIA's perspective, F1 could start in Monza, not reschedule anything, and still be hunky-dory. Beyond that is a problem. Multiple races per venue is allowed, but only if the FIA agreed to that in advance. It shouldn't be an issue, considering the FIA and Liberty have full authority to sculpt the calendar without team interference. However, for reasons given below, just leaving it at 7 is not an option. It would lose the FIA calendar status, teams would not be paid (except for the CCB payments) and it would risk the series not being issued a licence for 2021. (If the FIA was annoyed enough, it could do what happened in 1953 and re-label F2 as F1, opening out the regulations as teams appeared ready. In the modern take, F3 would be relabelled F2, and F4 teams invited to join the new F3. Unless they thought Liberty was at fault, in which case they could refuse to issue any of F1-F3 licences until a more appropriate promoter was found). F1 would prefer not to go through this outcome.
The minimum number of F1 races Liberty needs to make its contracts is... ...different. Nobody's 100% confirmed it, but Dieter Rencken of RaceFans appears to have evidence indicating the TV broadcasters only have to pay Liberty if there are 15 rounds. It's not clear whether there can be two rounds at the same venue and still count (the answer may even be different for different broadcasters). If so, the season can start as late as Singapore and provided all but one of those places runs two races in each weekend, everything may also be fine from TV perspective. If it doesn't, there's a problem. TV is about half of Liberty's income from F1 (tracks are perhaps 40-45%, and the remainder is from F1TV and other in-house initiatives).
Venues pay no matter how many races there are, provided their venue is one of them and the venue's name is not Monaco*. However, they don't pay if it is cancelled by anyone other than themselves. While it should be hoped that an equitable pay system is in place, the Melbourne farce suggests it is not. Also, venues only pay single rate whether 1 race is held there per season, or 21. This is why repeat venues, and indeed multiple races per venue, is of limited help to Liberty.
The venue revenue stream and TV revenue stream are similarly important. Liberty's ideal is 1 venue per season, and as many venues as possible in a season. Interestingly, the time element is the least sensitive part for Liberty; any extra time it can get people to sign up for without missing any avoidable races (thus losing out on venue income) benefits the "miscellaneous" income because F1TV is monthly. The tension points for that are subscriber patience (the non-live bit generates some money, but not everyone will use it for the whole spring interregnum) and TV broadcaster credulity.
I would seriously consider putting in a "superseason". Not necessarily a full 18-month one like WEC did, but also not necessarily just 12 months. If the world opens up again at the end of June (which I think is the earliest everyone will get to do it, as opposed to just some people), I'd schedule like this:
July: Austria/Britain
August: Hungary/Canada or France (if Liberty must break the summer holiday)/Belgium
September: Italy/Russia
October: Japan/USA
November: Mexico/Brazil
December: Bahrain/Abu Dhabi (move slot by a fortnight)
January: Vietnam (or Vietnam/China if emergency slot needed)
February: China (or dates to move autumn "second wave" postponements to)
March: Australia/Bahrain
April: Vietnam/China
May: The Netherlands/Spain/Monaco
I would then have an abbreviated 2021 season, that was just the remaining rounds as per the original 2020 schedule. Baku would be the opening round and Abu Dhabi the season-ender. Two of Bahrain, China or Vietnam with the Japan and Abu Dhabi rounds (and both pairings are needed to hit the 15 required for TV).
If the definition of "season" does not allow for this, then simply doing a WEC-style superseason, with some events going twice, is perfectly fine.
* - This is part of the reason Monaco is cancelled instead of postponed. Liberty is required to attempt rescheduling rounds unless authorised not to do so by the promoter, otherwise it has to pay the costs the race has accumulated so far. If the promoter gives that authorisation, it must pay those costs, plus the hosting fee. Monaco pays no hosting fees, so the promoter's not going to be fussed about paying an extra £0 to cancel first.
The other part is that Monaco knew in advance that this was the only weekend of the year it could get planning permission to race (believe it or not, some people who live in Monaco object to the disruption even when it runs conventionally, even though it's been like that since before they were born/moved in). It's not like Azerbaijan, where there are a few candidate weekends that the government could use because it doesn't have to worry about "planning permission" in the same way. Once it was established the original date was a no-go for Monaco, delay could only lead to more set-up/take-down expense.
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Thank you. I cannot, and could not, get a test because they're in very short supply, but I've been symptom-free for quite a while now. I am now one of the 1% of the English population who have signed up to volunteer for the NHS in its hour of need. This is a really impressive result, considering a lot of the English population aren't eligible (under 18, self-isolating/ill, working in healthcare professionally, not in possession of a smartphone - the volunteer service is managed via app) and many others are very time-limited (anyone looking after a family or in full-time essential/at-home work of any kind). The first wave of signees will likely be ready to call at-risk people, transport groceries, medication (and for people with appropriate security checks, people) on Monday morning. Note that volunteers don't have to sign up for everything (and in rural areas, people without their own transport can only call others) and volunteers have no minimum commitment - they can simply ignore anything that clashes with their other obligations.
I think it's a really good idea. As long as we don't try to pile into the shops at the same time!
7
« Last post by Andy B on March 27, 2020, 07:57:49 AM »
Keep positive Ali and let us know what your result is?
Fingers crossed for you.
8
« Last post by Andy B on March 27, 2020, 07:53:54 AM »
We are now in day 2 of lockdown and the number of cases will continue to rise for around ten days and then we should see some difference. We too have a Port up the road, I used to work there, and it pretty well is running as normal as possible within the confines of separation rules.
There is no recreational fishing or any boating activity all mountain bike tracks have closed and children's playgrounds so it is being treated very seriously here.
Keep safe everyone.
9
« Last post by Andy B on March 27, 2020, 07:46:20 AM »
Complacency will be the death of many!
We now have 39 cases and all of them from returning travellers and none transmitted within NZ which is very positive but as you say Dare if people do not take this seriously that will change.
I have a co-worker in NZ (going on 3 weeks). Word is she is trying to make it back to Switzerland. If I was her I’d rent an apartment and hunker down. NZ seems to be one of the safest and best led places in the world at the moment.
I'll not argue that and she will not be alone in doing that we currently have just 300 cases with 8 in hospital and 1 in ICU with 37 recovered and so far no deaths. We are in lockdown so no going out unless its to the supermarket, for a local walk keeping 2 metres from other people, to a pharmacy or garage. Most people are complying and those who are not have the police to sort them out. It's thought that the number will continue to go up for around 10 days before we notice a difference and we are in lockdown for minimum of four weeks. Keep well everyone and keep the hygiene up as this has to be taken seriously.
10
« Last post by Wizzo on March 25, 2020, 11:08:32 AM »
Some interesting stuff here...
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