Dutch GP boss Lammers wants speculation on 2020 season to stop
Dutch GP boss Jan Lammers says the media should stop speculating about the F1 season until clarity emerges on the coronavirus crisis.
Under normal circumstances, Zandvoort would currently be undergoing frantic activity, with F1 just under a month away from returning to the legendary track.
Instead, Dutch GP organisers have idled their operations and decided to limit official communications, because "the focus should be on where it belongs" insists Lammers.
"We actually want to stop reporting until there is more clarity," the former Grand Prix driver told Dutch website Formule1.
"Every answer raises new questions, and everything is interpreted so widely."
The ongoing coronavirus crisis has made projections a futile exercise. And Lammers believes that F1's interests would perhaps be better served if there was a complete halt to the speculation about when the racing will finally get underway.
"From an ethical point of view, we actually want to set an example, just take a moment to replace it," says Lammers. "The focus must be on where it belongs.
"We need to leave the media's attention to more socially important subjects, to issues that everyone has to deal with.
"This goes much further than a motorsport event. Were just getting set up, to take even one percent of the victim's role is inappropriate."
Dutch F1 fans are crossing their fingers, hoping the world will be safe this summer and that their race will get slotted back into the calendar in August.
But even if the coast is clear by then on the virus front, Lammers questions whether it would be morally responsible to proceed with F1 given the inevitable hardship that will result from the current crisis.
"You have to ask yourself if August is not too early, because then you would assume that this virus will be out of the world in June or July," he reasoned.
"And then you have to ask yourself whether it would be appropriate to celebrate while half of Europe is traumatized. The ethical, human and moral aspect now takes precedence."
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Again, Lammers suggests that communication on the matter be kept at a minimum.
"The virus rules, the FIA and Formula 1 are dealing with a moving target," he added.
"We can all discuss scenarios in the meantime, but that makes no sense. That's lip service, talking for the sake of talking.
"We don't want to do that to anyone: not the fans, not the media and not ourselves. We must ask from ourselves the same patience that we ask from the spectators."
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