Formula 1 should step back in time - McLaren CEO Zak Brown

Formula 1

Formula 1 should step back in time - Brown

Ian Parkes

Thursday 9 April 2020 12:01 Updated: 13:02

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McLaren CEO Zak Brown has suggested Formula 1 reverts to "the good old days" once the show finally gets back on the road.

The positive test of a McLaren team member for the coronavirus ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in March sparked F1's freefall that has since resulted in nine grands prix either being cancelled or postponed.

Brown has suggested that if the situation arose again then he would not stand in the way of the nine other teams going racing, albeit proposing no team is punished should it be forced to withdraw from an event.

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Brown believes to protect teams from such a prospect, F1 brings in a rule for this season whereby only a certain number of results count towards the championship, as was the case from 1950 through to 1990.

"Given where we are right now we need to make some sacrifices, so if we went back to going racing, and we were unable to race, then I would do exactly what I did in Australia and withdraw the team," confirmed Brown to Sky F1's Vodcast.

"If Formula 1 and the teams felt comfortable, and that the issue we had was contained to just our garage and they felt it was safe to go racing, then I would not stand in the way. It would be unfortunate.

"Maybe we could have a discussion with Formula 1, where, back in the good old days you could drop a couple of races.

"So maybe this year, let's say we get back to 15 races, maybe we do something where your best 13 races count.

"If you had something like that, we're not holding back the sport but we're also not being penalised.

'So those are areas we can all work together and identity, but we do need to try, when the time is right, to get the show back on the road."

The number of races that counted per season varied greatly across the four decades of its implementation: In 1950, it was four from seven, for example; in 1960, it was six from 10; in 1970, it was 11 out of 13; in 1980, 10 from 14 [but only five from each half of the season counted;] and then in 1990, before the regulation changed to all races counting, it was 11 out of 16.