Another false start in 2020 would be ’disaster’

Italian GP boss Angelo Sticchi Damiani has admitted that even September’s Monza race is threatened by the coronavirus crisis.

The Italian automobile club president said a repeat of Melbourne, in which the entire sport descended on Melbourne only for the race to be cancelled, would be a "disaster".

"We cannot afford to make another mistake like Australia, where the grand prix was cancelled when the public was already there," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It was a setback for everyone, from Liberty Media to the teams to the local organiser. It would be a disaster if we restarted and had to stop again."

Nine races have already been cancelled or postponed, and Sticchi Damiani admits that the remaining dates on the current calendar are also in doubt.

"We are facing this situation with complete uncertainty and therefore we must be cautious," he said.

"The priority is to understand what is happening in the countries hosting races, and especially in Great Britain and Italy where most of the paddock comes from.

"As far as I know, the teams have already asked for 90 days notice before the start of the championship, so if we are talking about resuming races in July then the deadline has already passed," the Italian added.

"Perhaps the teams should be flexible and a 60 day notice will suffice."