The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has not affected race promotors’ interest in holding grands prix, nor has it deterred prospective future venues, according to Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey.
Formula 1’s original 2020 calendar has been heavily restructured, with over half of the anticipated events cancelled, due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Formula 1 is still planning a 2021 calendar akin to its expected 2020 roster, and Carey says interest in the series has not dwindled in spite of the global picture.
“We’ve got a couple agreements to complete where we are sort of at the business terms agreed, we’ve got to pay for it,” said Carey on 2021.
“There’s been no impact on that and obviously, those in discussions that would have begun well before the virus and it’s certainly not have had any negative impact.
“In the short-term, everybody still wrestles with ‘how long is the virus going to last?’
“But I think there is a broad-based assumption that the world has to continue to recover and businesses have to… everything has to start to operate and, in some ways, there’s a pent-up demand for this.
“And obviously, the types of cities we’re in that obviously are very – with tourism and their general business is important and exposure to the global – to the world is important, probably makes our platforms more important.”
Since acquiring Formula 1 Liberty Media has agreed renewal with several events while re-introducing and debuting grands prix in the Netherlands and Vietnam – subject to the coronavirus.
Carey affirmed that discussions are ongoing with potential new races.
“The conversations we have right now are probably early stage, because they’re not for next year,” he said.
“If we’ve got next year, as I said, they’re pretty much done and we’re just finishing the agreements for it.
“There are still parties that we’ve [got to] talk to but again, not in any way – their interest hasn’t diminished.
“And we’re talking of race that’s two or three years away, because it’s early stages.
“So you’re really talking more about the opportunity and what’s you can do with it and things around it, so it’s not the detailed substance.”
