Formula One teams will not be able to adhere to social distancing regulations at all times during races behind closed doors, says Pat Symonds.
F1 is preparing to finally get the 2020 season underway four months after the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a revised calendar replacing the 22-race schedule.
Double race events will be held at Austria's Spielberg circuit on July 5 and 12 and at Silverstone in August 2 and 9, with the European calendar set to be announced shortly before finishing the season in the Americas and Asia.
As part of the coronavirus measures, races will be held without spectators and teams will be limited to 100 people, with testing occurring every two days to ensure minimal risk of contracting Covid-19.
F1 personnel will also be expected to follow social distancing rules, standing two metres apart where necessary. But Symonds, F1's chief technical officer, has conceded there are instances where the rules will inevitably be broken.
“There are aspects of operating at a Grand Prix that really preclude social distancing," he said, speaking to Enginuity.
"Our fans need to understand that everyone won’t be two metres apart, you can’t envisage a pit-stop where that happens, so we have to take even more precautions.
“It’s an incredibly complex operation that’s changing day by day as regulations and our understanding changes but we want to ensure safety above everything – that is our critical remit.
“There are bubbles within bubbles. We are trying to keep that level of isolation without the social distancing that we all know is so effective.”
Despite the number of races being reduced and the absence of fans at the racetracks, Symonds believes the drivers will be more motivated than ever.
“The minute the guys get strapped in the cars, the minute the visors come down, there’s only one thing that matters: and that’s winning the race. In Austria everyone is going to feel different, the old habits will have to change.
“It’s going to be as exciting as ever – maybe even more exciting than ever – [as] there’s time compression involved now. You just have to be at it all the time and I think that’s going to make for a really great season."
