F1’s 2020 calendar plans ’absurd’ - Lehto

Former F1 driver JJ Lehto thinks Formula 1’s current plan for the post-coronavirus phase is "absurd".

Currently, the sport - like many others - is simply waiting for approval to return to action.

In F1’s case, the idea is that a concentrated calendar of up to 18 or 19 races may then be able to take place in the second half of the year - or perhaps even into January.

"It would be such a fierce pace that I don’t know how it would work," the Finn told Iltalehti newspaper.

"The smaller teams are very much hand to mouth, now even more so than before," Lehto added. "There are a few teams who have been really tight in terms of their budgets for a few years."

He thinks those resources will now be stretched beyond capacity by a gruelling race schedule.

"I know there has always been a big problem in smaller teams when they don’t have enough people. They use the same people all the time," Lehto said.

"Those guys will have a lot more work to do and even bigger responsibilities than in the big teams.

"It must be remembered that most of them have families. Although there are a lot of young people, many have children. Now they are suddenly going to be told that you’re away from home for half a year.

"I’ve always been of the opinion that 16 races is enough for a world championship. But in such a situation, 15 races in six months is absolutely absurd," said the former Benetton driver.