Renault F1 stuck in Shanghai

With a volcanic ash cloud still hovering above Europe, most of the F1 community have had little choice but to stay put in China. Flights have been cancelled and all the team can do is sit and wait as this unprecedented situation develops.

“All the flights in and out of Europe are basically grounded, which is where we want to go along with our freight and cars,” confirmed Sporting Director, Steve Nielsen earlier today. “So the situation is that we’re stuck here waiting for seats on planes to become available. We hear rumours of southern Europe starting to open up, but then you face the challenge of finding a ticket on one of those flights. All the teams here are in exactly the same situation.”

Even if some of the team are lucky enough to get on a flight back to southern Europe, there’s still a challenging journey in store. Most European train routes are full to capacity and tickets are being snapped up quickly. Hiring a bus is another option the team has looked into, but it’s not easy to find one at short notice. And when you make it to northern France, you’ve still got to get across the English Channel.

“The most frustrating thing is the feeling of helplessness,” says Steve. “We’re continuing to look at all our options, and we’re even exploring the possibility of chartering our own plane. Fortunately F1 teaches you to react quickly to developments and we’re experts in making do, so I’m sure we’ll find our way home eventually. If I was being optimistic, I’d say that some of us might be able to start leaving Shanghai as early as Wednesday, but it really is out of our hands.”

The situation for the cars and freight is slightly different because the cargo planes that take F1 around the world are already in Shanghai. All the freight has arrived at the airport and it’s just a case of waiting for the green light. “It’s quite easy to change the final destination of the freight depending on how the situation develops,” explains Steve. “If we start running out of time, the cars will be flown straight to Barcelona in time for the next race, rather than going via the factory. Similarly, the mechanics and engineers could also go straight to Barcelona from Shanghai if this situation lingers on for weeks.”