F1 could wait for Easter to take the next decision

Following the troubled start to the season, Formula 1 chiefs could potentially wait for the Easter weekend to take a decision over the fate of the start of the 2020 campaign that is set to kick off at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The coronavirus crisis has left no stones unturned in motorsport, leading to a raft of postponements and cancellations of every series across the globe. The Formula 1 championship was no exception in this trend with the 2020 season having been delayed by at least three months. The Australian Grand Prix has been called off while the following seven rounds have been postponed or cancelled as well.

The earliest the 2020 campaign could kick off is the Canadian Grand Prix which is set to be staged on June 14. However, the ongoing crisis casts doubts even over the race in Montreal with the outbreak having shown no signs of peaking just yet.

With the Gilles Villeneuve circuit being a semi-street track, the organizers have to commence the preparation for the grand prix quite early to get the race course ready. Speaking to Motorsport.com, boss of the Canadian Grand Prix Promoter Francois Dumontier said that the preparation has to kick off after the Easter weekend meaning that the decision about the race has to be made by that time.

"We still have two or three weeks before a decision has to be made. Hopefully, we can do it on that date and then we will be the first race of the season,” he said.

While some of the postponed races could be rescheduled for the time when racing resumes, it would be difficult to find a later spot for the Canadian Grand Prix in the reshuffled calendar as winter weather can strike in Canada quite early in the season.

„But at the same time, I'm working on different scenarios for postponing the event. If we have to make a decision about postponing the event I will have that conversation with F1 somewhere around Easter weekend."