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Brawn expecting positive COVID-19 tests in F1 despite clean start
Formula 1's Ross Brawn is certain the sport will see some positive tests for COVID-19 despite the completely clean start it has had to the delayed 2020 season.
As of Thursday at the Styrian Grand Prix, the sport had carried out more than 10,000 tests on drivers, teams and personnel as part of the racing restart, and the first two rounds returned zero positive results. The FIA and F1 will make the results of its testing public every seven days, and F1 managing director of motor sport Ross Brawn said he expects there to be occasions when personnel test positive, but that the sport is well-placed to react.
“It’s astonishing we have managed to get through the whole weekend, for the second successive time, with a clean bill of negative tests," he said. "There will be positive tests, I’m sure of it. When we do get those positive tests, we have to make sure we deal with them in the correct and proper fashion to minimize the impact they have on F1.
“It’s been a fantastic start. Everyone is so pleased and relieved that we have got the season going. Given the pandemic has affected countries in different ways, we have to be flexible during the next six months, but we have a reasonable program ahead of us and from the example of the first two races, we can have a fantastically exciting grand prix season.”
While F1 has set its own guidelines to ensure racing could restart safely, the sport is also having to adhere to strict regulations in Hungary for the next race, with all UK and non-EU citizens being confined solely to their hotels or the track throughout their stay in the country or facing huge fines and potential imprisonment.
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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