Organisers of Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix are optimistic that the postponed event can be rearranged for the summer months, albeit without spectators present.
Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix was due to be held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend (May 8-10) but is one of seven indefinitely postponed due the coronavirus pandemic.
Barcelona, which hosts Formula 1’s pre-season test sessions, joined the calendar in 1991, and has been part of the championship ever since.
Spain began lifting some lockdown measures earlier this week and further easing of restrictions are due to take place this coming Monday.
Formula 1 is aiming to start its 2020 season with two races in Austria on July 5/12, followed by a similar structure in Britain, ahead of further rounds in Europe, Eurasia, Asia and the Americas, concluding in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, on December 13.
It has already confirmed that if events in Austria, Britain and Hungary receive government approval to take place then they will be run without spectators.
“I mean regarding this year, I think we are quite optimistic in hosting a closed-doors Formula 1 grand prix just in the middle of summer,” Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya General Manager Joan Fontserè told MotorsportWeek.com.
“It’s what we are talking about with Liberty Media and I hope we can include our grand prix in those first rounds of the season, with the European grands prix.”
On fans returning to the venue he cautioned that “I think we couldn’t consider right now to host any open doors events at the track almost during all of 2020.”
As well as Formula 1 the circuit is a permanent fixture on the MotoGP calendar and its two-wheeled showpiece was set for June 7, prior to the pandemic forcing its postponement.
Fontserè said the venue will be as flexible as possible with both Formula 1 and MotoGP, whose promoter Dorna Sports is based nearby in the city, and would need only two weeks notice in order to ready the circuit for the respective series.
“Mr [Carmelo] Ezpeleta was the first General Manager here so we have a good relationship with them, we know them very well,” he said of Dorna’s CEO.
“We always give them the option to think [of us] as a joker, just to put us on whatever they need to be able to include Barcelona in the calendar, just to help them.
“It’s the same as [when] we talk to Formula 1; our philosophy right now is we need to keep the sport on, Formula 1 or MotoGP, so if they think that we can help the sport to get a better and a stronger championship we will be there.”
