McLaren sends staff on leave

F1 Grand Prix, GP 70th Anniversary, Silverstone Circuit

The McLaren F1 team has become the first outfit to introduce major measures as a reaction to the ongoing coronavirus crisis that has already impacted motorsport financially.

There is hardly any area of life or business that hasn’t been touched by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. The international motorsport world is no exception to this process with all race series having been forced to postpone or cancel races. As the coronavirus has shown no signs of peaking yet, teams have already started to define future measures in order to save the existence of their businesses.

The McLaren F1 Team have become the first squad in F1 to ask some of their staff to take an enforced absence. Those employees who continue to work for McLaren will have their salary reduced. The team’s two young drivers, Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris volunteered to take the same rate of reduction as other staff when they were informed.

''The McLaren Group will temporarily send several members of staff on leave in order to reduce costs during this pandemic. We are taking these measures in order to protect jobs in the short term so that all our employees can return full time when the economy recovers,” read a McLaren statement.

Carlos Sainz who is set to start his second year with the McLaren F1 team when the season finally kicks off said that it was an easy decision to take a pay cut considering the severe situation.

No other team has announced similar measures, but further delays can urge rival outfits to follow the same route as McLaren. F1 team bosses, the FIA and Liberty Media are expected to hold a second video conference on March 6 to discuss the further measures the sport needs to take to react to the fluid, constantly changing situation.