FIA: ''You'd rather have a world championship finished before Christmas.''

Formula 1 fans around the world are looking forward to the start of the F1 season. With the coronavirus everything has been postponed and there is still little to do. Races without an audience would be a relief in that respect.

15 to 18 races

However, according to Jean Todt, we don't have to despair, because the boss of the FIA still predicts fifteen to eighteen races in 2020. However, the question is to what extent the calendar can be adjusted, whether it will be possible to drive without an audience and from when the sport will officially start. Todt talks about this with Auto, Motor und Sport.

''There are two important points. First of all the logistics and the contracts with the organizers and on the other hand the fact that guests just have to be able to go to the restaurant to eat. Before we start we need to better understand the pandemic and see if the different ways out work and when a medicine is found'', says Todt.

Preferably not after Christmas

But that can happen very quickly, the FIA top man thinks. "Just like in Australia. One moment we thought we could still race and the next moment we had to cancel it. That's how fast it can go. I hope that's the other way around, so we can race again soon. With three races a month you can still race 15 to 18 races''.

Continuing in January is not ideal for Todt. ''The FIA doesn't have a problem with it, but the owners and organizers might. You'd rather have a world championship finished before Christmas, but you might be able to make an exception in this case'', concludes Todt.