Russia Sets First F1 Race With Spectators for September
Russia Sets First Formula One Race With Spectators for September
(Bloomberg) --
Russia’s is planning to host the first Formula 1 Grand Prix with spectators this year in Sochi in September as the country looks at reopening its borders amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Sochi race will take place on Sept. 25-27 as originally scheduled, bringing the number of confirmed races in the 2020 season to 10, F1 said on its website. Mugello in Italy will host its first Tuscan Grand Prix two weeks earlier, according to the statement.
Russia’s government will provide support so the competition can go ahead with spectators, Dmitry Chernyshenko, a Russian deputy prime minister, said in a separate statement.
“Foreign fans and participants will probably be able to attend the race in a format that is close to normal, given the current situation,” said Alexey Titov, chief executive officer at Sochi race organizer ANO Rosgonki. The organizers are working out different scenarios to ensure the safety of the guests, depending on the how the pandemic develops, he said by email.
F1 held the first race of the season in Austria on July 5, but without fans, after delaying or canceling races in the first half of the year, including the hallmark Monaco Grand Prix, as the pandemic forced countries into lockdown.
While Russia hasn’t yet set a date to reopen its borders, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said on state television that the government aims to resume some international flights July 15. She didn’t name any countries. The government may consider opening travel to some destinations in Europe and Asia, such as Italy and China, the RBC online news group reported this week.
The Sochi Autodrom can hold up to 55,000 spectators, and tickets are already being sold. The Black Sea resort city, which has registered about 600 cases of Covid-19 since the outbreak started, is now almost fully open for domestic tourists.
The infection rate has slowed in Russia, spurring governments in regions including Moscow and Krasnodar, where Sochi is located, to lift many restrictions. Still, new cases are averaging above 6,600 a day this month.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.