Who's next?
Brazil -- they say they wont cancel so far. Reality is now the COVID situation is as volatile as last year. I could see no fans at many remaining races being the norm or severely reduced. What else can be done except to cancel. The issue will be quarantine in the UK for team members and its 'red list' countries.
Why? current "peak" is already past, next one probably in 6 months based on the history: (in 2 months, F1 race weekend, will quite likely be in 'stage 3' or less) https://austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/0ad7fa50ba504e73be9945ec2a7841cb Image Unavailable, Please Login and, this recent peak is substantially less than prior: https://austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/39e4f8d4acb0433baae6d15a931fa984 Image Unavailable, Please Login
[AMuS] Since a few weeks, a second race in the USA has been mentioned as a replacement for the Japanese GP. Austin could manage to host two race weekends in a row. However the Covid-19 situation in Texas is becoming more serious… Some in the paddock are bringing up Indianapolis as a venue for the second race in the USA. But with Turkey still on UK's red list and the required quarantine, there would probably not be enough time… Qatar could become the replacement Grand Prix for the cancelled Australian GP. As of now, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi are on UK's "amber" list. But a lot can change in the next few weeks. In one direction or the other. That's why everything is complicated.
My friend who lives in Sao Paulo said that 90% of the adult population are already vaccinated with at least one dose and 30% with the second. Therefore, I don't see how the GP, that will be held only in November, will be cancelled on Covid grounds, unless the UK decides to mess up by requesting a quarantine for teams returning from Brazil.
Thats the real key. The UK rules. Wisdom was Japan was safe with the Olympics. Not really. Government is un-predictable.
Did the UK government request a quarantine for those returning from Japan? Because their vaccination rate is way behind Brazil's.
As others said - its not really us, per se but UK - EU and FOM on how they want to handle their bubble requirements. if they are going to do a race in the USA - teams need to ship equipment in early September, which means that is one of the first things they will be doing after Spa
I've been to Indy twice in the last month. Love that place. Would be awesome if Japanese GP replacement race is at Indy!!
so bummed the japanese gp and just general travel to Japan is a no-go...my reservations have been rolled over 4 times now... do vaccination rates even matter at this point? seems like though vaccinated folks are less likely to fall seriously ill or die, they can still just as easily be infected, carry and continue the spread of the virus onto others all the same? why can't events/travel just carry on but just require negative covid tests prior to entry?
Considering that I do not "follow" F1 as much as I did before the advent of the "power units" in 2014 (I refuse to call this things "engines"), cancellation of a Grand Prix is not a matter that I care about, especially adding that I think there are too many of them in a season nowadays; 16 was the "right" number to me. BUT cancelling that one is a really pity, as Suzuka is a marvellous, proper, race track. They can cancel any of those on any "Tilkedrome" and I wouldn't matter, but cancelling that one...and for the second year in a row! A pity. Rgds
But who really still cares about the actual race? All the cars on all the teams lack soul, they are one step away from being a spec series. The drivers are making fewer and fewer decisions, the races are controlled and won in the pits. And almost all the R&D comes from the simulators. I watch F1 today out of some perverse nostalgic memory of what F1 used to be. Sure, there are good tracks and great tracks and dogs...but they are just pieces of tarmac...the race should be about the cars and drivers. Instead it is the Wolff vs Horner show. Everyone else are bit players in a video game.
I watch each race. We had compelling competition in some races this year. F1 has never been perfect. Its the future that we will need to be concerned about. ICE power vs E. Evolution occurs for us to see.
Good move IMO. They are still struggling with the post Olympics issues surrounding the pandemic. I've always thought they should have just cancelled the Olympics this year.
