Positive test 'wouldn't cancel the race' says Carey

Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey has said the sport will push on with a grand prix weekend even if an entire team is forced to sit out the event due to testing positive for Covid-19.

An initial eight-race calendar for the European leg of the 2020 Formula 1 season was released on Tuesday, and Carey has made it clear that now the ball is rolling, the sport will stop for nothing.

“An individual having been found with a positive infection will not lead to a cancellation of a race,” Carey told Formula1.com.

“We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual.

“Some things we’d have to talk through and work through. The array of ‘what ifs’ are too wide to play out every one of them, but a team not being able to race wouldn’t cancel the race.

"I don’t think I could sit here and lay out the consequences. But we will have a procedure in place that finding infection will not lead to a cancellation. If a driver has an infection, [teams have] reserve drivers available.

“We wouldn’t be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary procedures and expertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment and manage whatever issues arrive.”

Outlining the strict Covid-19 testing regime, Carey acknowledged that social distancing within a team will not always be possible, using a pit stop as an example.

He added: “We will test before you go there, then there will be testing every two days. There are processes if we find an infection.

"We recognise there is the possibility, so we’re prepared to appropriately deal with it, if we find a positive infection. We’re working on putting in place tracking capabilities, we have two different tracking options.

“In many ways, it will be like living in a bubble from when you start travelling on charter planes.

"There will be controlled transportation to hotels, transportation back and forth to the track from hotels. And probably within it, sub-bubbles of people who operate different functions and it is set up to manage the processes, make sure we have the right protective equipment and social distancing.

“Clearly we recognise our sport is one which at times, we can’t have two metres between every individual on a team.

"When a car pulls into a pit and has to change four tyres, there won’t be two metres between every individual. We need to make sure we have procedures to manage all those risks as soon as possible.”

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