Spielberg bei Knittelfeld (Austria) (AFP)

Again reunited on a circuit but at a good distance from each other: on the eve of the first Grand Prix of 2020, the "great circus" of Formula 1 discovers a new organization intended to protect itself from the coronavirus.

To re-ignite the engines more than three months late, the top category in motorsport opted for in camera, regular tests and a system of "bubbles" isolating not only the paddock from the outside but also the participants between them .

So there was not a cat around the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, in the center of Austria, in the early morning Thursday, whereas in normal times, spectators are in a hurry to settle in one of the many campsites.

If the event gathered more than 200,000 people last year, only a few diehards armed with binoculars and cameras were waiting around the airfield which adjoins the circuit to see the pilots' jets land.

For the 2,000 to 3,000 people authorized to enter the Red Bull Ring, you must be negative at the Covid-19, be tested again every five days and pass several checkpoints, in particular to have your temperature checked.

In the enclosure, it is requested to respect a distance of two meters between each, to follow a single direction of traffic and to wear a mask during each contact or movement.

Including during the traditional lap, on foot for many, by bike for the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, pilots with their engineers at the end of the morning, intended to take their bearings before the free practice on Friday.

No question either of going anywhere. The twenty or so print journalists, for example, are confined to a room offering a panoramic view of the circuit.

It is from here that they follow the press conferences recorded three floors below in conditions unimaginable a few months ago, the pilots appearing masked to answer pre-recorded questions.

- "Good environment in which to work" -

A situation that complicates any attempt to handle irony, as Max Verstappen learned at his expense, the Dutchman from Red Bull replying that he had "not missed" the race before asking: "you can see my emotions? "

These measures, in any case, are winning the support of the pilots, like a Lewis Hamilton "impressed" and who praises "a good environment in which to work".

"We find our habits," says Romain Grosjean. "Apart from the fact that we are not allowed to hug with team members that we have not seen for five months, things are pretty normal and the preparation is going as usual . "

Failing to wear a mask in their cars, it is recommended that Grosjean et al. Keep their gloves and the visor of their helmet lowered as much as possible when they are in their garages this weekend.

"The most complicated will be the visor because, if it is hot, you want to open it to have fresh air, to also chat with the person who straps you", anticipates the Frenchman from Haas. "But we will do it via radio and then a maximum with the fan," he philosophizes.

Beware, too, of sprains in the rules in case of a good result on the track, warns the pilot. "We will want to jump into the arms of his team," does not hide Grosjean. "So there are times when there may be things that are not going to be 100% controlled, but we will try to stay as close as possible to the rules."

© 2020 AFP