Vienna (AFP)

With the eagerly awaited agreement of the Austrian authorities to the organization of a Grand Prix in July, Formula 1 will once again make its engines roar and start a season turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ministry of Health gave the green light on Saturday to the holding of two Grand Prix in Spielberg on July 5 and 12, judging the security conditions for the holding of the races.

The announced goal of the F1 promoters was to be able to start in Austria a season that should have started in Australia, in March, as the epidemic spread around the world.

At this stage, it is planned that the races on the Red Bull Ring circuit in the center of the country will take place behind closed doors.

"The organizers presented a complete and professional security concept" to prevent new cases of contamination with the coronavirus, welcomed the Austrian government.

"In addition to strict hygiene measures, the concept also provides for regular health checks and tests for the teams and all other employees," added the ministry.

The government wanted in particular that the event be organized in "closed circuit", that is to say without contact with the outside, with the exception of the Austrians involved in the management of the race.

- Two races for "surprises" -

Austrian media have reported on the organization of special flights to transport the stables while international air traffic will remain reduced for many weeks.

Austria, which has recorded less than 700 deaths from Covid-19, has progressively eased restrictions in place since mid-April to combat the epidemic and has not registered a rebound in contamination.

"It is very important that Formula 1 starts," said Helmut Marko, one of the leaders of the Red Bull team, very active in negotiations with the Austrian government, on Saturday. Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1971, he himself was born in Graz, not far from the circuit.

Unprecedented, holding two races on the same circuit one week apart could hold "surprises", predicts the former driver, allowing the teams to fine-tune their settings from one event to another.

Red Bull, who will be almost at home, has won the last two editions of the Austrian Grand Prix with the Dutchman Max Verstappen.

After the postponement sine die of several races (Bahrain, Vietnam, China, Netherlands, Spain, Azerbaijan, Canada, Great Britain) or the cancellation of four of them (Australia, Monaco, France, Netherlands) , F1 hopes to be able to hold its entire championship between July and December, even if the unknowns are still numerous.

The "plateau" of F1 could go after Austria to neighboring Hungary, whose GP has always been scheduled on August 2. He would then be expected on the Silverstone circuit (Great Britain) but will have to wait for the green light from the British authorities who are imposing quarantine obligations for people from other countries.

According to the rest of the scenario envisaged, the Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps would be maintained on August 30, also behind closed doors. The championship would end in December in Abu Dhabi and would count between fifteen and eighteen events, instead of twenty-two, initially planned.

It would be organized by geographic areas (Europe in July-August, Eurasia, Asia and the Americas in September-October-November, Middle East in December).

Among the health precautions adopted by the organizers are the limitation of the number of people on the paddock, health checks on departure, on arrival, then every two days. The teams would be isolated from each other on the circuits, as well as from the general public outside (flights, on-site transport, hotels).

© 2020 AFP