Formula One managing director Ross Brawn said the Austrian Grand Prix’s remote location makes it a logical choice as the opening race of a season heavily interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Organisers are aiming to start the championship, which was put on hold in March hours before the scheduled season-opener in Australia, with consecutive races at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg on July 5 and 12.
“One of the logistical challenges is getting everyone tested and cleared to enter the racing environment,” Brawn told the F1 Nation podcast.
“Once we do that, it’s very attractive to keep everyone in that environment, within that biosphere that we want to create, for another race.
“It’s also pretty challenging to find the right sort of races early on where we can control the environment well enough to ensure the safety of everyone.
“Austria fits that bill very well. It has a local airport right next to the circuit, where people can charter planes into. It’s not too close to a metropolis.”
“It has a great infrastructure around it,” he added. “For instance, there will be no motorhomes, but there will be full catering facility laid on that the circuit has.
“We can contain everyone within that environment and therefore once we are there it is appealing to have another race the following week.”
The Austrian Grand Prix will only be given the green light on the condition it is raced behind closed doors, the country’s health minister told organisers on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately it will be without fans, which is a great shame, but we still feel we can take the race out to all the fans and watchers on TV and other means,” said Brawn.
Organisers also announced on Friday the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 2 will be staged without fans in response to the health crisis.