Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel on Friday cautioned against the temptation to shoehorn too many Formula One races into a revised calendar, describing the move as “not realistic”.
The 22-event F1
season has been decimated by the coronavirus with nine races either cancelled
or postponed.
The French Grand
Prix scheduled for June 28 is also in doubt as is the Belgian Grand Prix, set
for August 30.
F1 chiefs have
floated the idea of making up for lost time by staging races on successive
weekends or even having two races on the same weekend.
However, Ferrari
star Vettel fears such a move could lead to burnout for team staff.
“We drivers are a
little privileged,” Vettel told reporters by teleconference from his home in
Switzerland.
“Of course, the
races are tiring but there have to be limits for the staff. They must
rest.
“We must also see
if it is easy to reschedule races, if the circuits are not already taken. Many
questions remain. I think the schedule will be busier, but 10 consecutive
weekends is not realistic.”
Vettel suggested
that he would favour staging races without fans if it allowed a quick
resumption as long as it did not become a common feature.
Other sports have
already toyed with the idea of staging events behind closed doors.
‘It’s complicated’
For example, the US
PGA Tour on Thursday announced plans to resume in June, with the first four
tournaments being closed to spectators.
“It’s complicated,”
admitted Vettel.
“On the one hand,
there is the health of the sport, on the other, that of the people who work in
the paddock and especially the fans.
“There are several
options. No one likes to run in front of empty stands, but we will have to see
if it will not allow us to resume much sooner.
“The first races
will probably be a little different, but not too much, I hope, because we want
to run in front of the fans.”
Vettel insists that
for him even a 10-race season is just as valuable as a 22-race campaign.
However, he admits
that the damage to the sport caused by the coronavirus pandemic could be fatal
for the smaller teams on the grid.
Without racing, the
massive TV and sponsorship revenues have dried up.
Half of the teams
have already started furloughing staff.
Teams have agreed
to lower the spending cap from $175 million (161.4 million euros) to $150
million.
“Clearly, some
small teams are in danger and, as a family, F1 has to take care of its own,”
said Vettel.
Speculation
Spending has not
been the only talk in the sport.
There has also been
speculation over Vettel’s contract with Ferrari.
He penned a
three-year deal with the Italian giants in 2017, reportedly worth around $112
million.
There have been
talks over an extension. However, those conversations took a twist after Vettel
finished the 2019 championship behind new teammate Charles Leclerc.
“At the beginning
(of the coronavirus crisis), the priority was to manage the situation in the
best way and therefore the negotiations were put on hold,” said Vettel.
“I think we are
going to move forward but we do not have a specific deadline.”
Whatever the
outcome of the discussions, Vettel said he won’t be revealing if he has been
tempted to take a salary reduction.
Two weeks ago,
McLaren drivers Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris said they had taken voluntary pay
cuts as part of a raft of cost-cutting measures to help their team.
“Whatever happens,
we will keep this decision to ourselves, as I have always done.
“I’m not going to
use this to polish my image.”