The organisers of the Dutch Grand Prix have admitted it is unlikely they will host a race this year after the government extended a ban on major public events by three months.
The Dutch GP was due to return to the calendar for the first time in 35 years this season, but was officially postponed when it became clear it would not be possible to race on the original May 3 date.
Now it seems unlikely the race will take place at all in 2020 after prime minister Mark Rutte said a ban on public events, including professional sports and music festivals, would be extended until Sep. 1.
Speaking to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the race’s sporting director Jan Lammers said the extended ban would likely rule out a Dutch Grand Prix this year.
“We will have to wait and see what possibilities are still offered to us, but I do not think it is likely that [a race] this year will still be possible,” he said.
“It is what it is. In any case, there is clarity and I respect the level of assessment of the experts.”
The renovated Zandvoort circuit was reopened in March by Max Verstappen and tickets for the race had already sold out. Other circuits, including the Red Bull Ring in Austria and Silverstone in the U.K., are considering hosting races without fans present, but Lammers said that was not a consideration for Zandvoort.
“We have not worked out scenarios for a 1.5-meter distancing or racing without an audience,” he added.
“That is impossible for us and we did not want to present vague plans or come up with vague answers.
“We want to roll out the event as we had it planned and are also ready to activate it. But it is the virus that rules.”
F1 remains optimistic that it will be able to hold a season of 18 to 19 races if racing can get back underway in July.
The latest discussions are based on the idea of holding a race behind closed doors with no fans and minimal staff for teams, the FIA and F1. The talks over a season opener at the Red Bull Ring in Austria are being led by Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko and he remains optimistic that a race can go ahead.
“We will try to reduce participants from teams and suppliers as much as possible,” Marko told Autosport. “This increases the chances that it may be signed off.
“But clearly, all of this can only be done within the [Austrian] safety regulations. They will still be in force at the time. We are working hard to ensure that all this goes hand in hand. I see [that the] chances are good.”
There is also talk of boosting the number of championship rounds by holding two races at some venues when racing resumes, starting in Austria, where restrictions regarding the coronavirus are starting to be relaxed, then moving to Silverstone and Hungary, as per the original 2020 calendar. One suggestion is for a race as normal and then a second event at the same venue held mid-week.
However, in a statement on its website last week, F1 made clear that no decisions were final as yet.
“Our intention is to start the 2020 season at some point this summer,” the statement read. “At this time no-one can be certain of exactly when the situation will improve, but when it does, we will be ready to go racing again. We are all committed to bringing our fans a 2020 championship season.
“Formula One is currently working with our promoters on a revised 2020 calendar with the actual sequence and schedule dates for races likely to differ significantly from our original 2020 calendar. This will be published in due course.”