Todt looks ahead: "We won't be over the coronavirus in 2021"

While the calendar for the 2020 season is not even complete yet, FOM is already thinking about filling in the calendar for 2021. In 2020 it was a huge improvisation to create the calendar, because the coronavirus caused a lot of problems. Jean Todt states that there are developments on the 2021 calendar, but that there are many factors to take into account.

"There is an enormous amount of cooperation between F1, the FIA and the commercial parties. They are now working on the calendar, which will again be submitted to the FIA. We are now working on a 'standard' calendar, but we don't know if that calendar will actually be executed", explains Todt to Autosport. Due to the coronavirus, sporting events can be cancelled in a certain country. That can also affect F1.

Pandemic not over yet next year

"It depends enormously on how the situation is. It can happen that you have a race planned, but that the government in that country has determined that no sporting events may take place, or that there is a minimum quarantine period if you want to enter the country". Despite all the possible problems, Todt hopes that a full season can be held in 2021.

"I am convinced that the championship next year must be creative and flexible, because unfortunately we will not be over this pandemic next year". On this year's calendar a number of new circuits have been added, such as Portimao and Imola, which were not originally on the calendar for 2020. Todt expects that the same scenario will not occur in 2021. "At the moment we're aiming to prepare a normal calendar for 2021", Todt concludes.