No racing in 2020 'impossible'

Jos Verstappen would hate to see his son lose a full season while in his prime

(GMM) It is "impossible" for Formula 1 to consider not racing at all in 2020, according to Jos Verstappen.

"There will certainly be racing. I'm convinced of that," the father of Red Bull star Max Verstappen told De Telegraaf.

"A year without racing is impossible," he added.

Some are backing F1 and Red Bull's plans to re-start the season in July in Austria, while others have described racing amid the pandemic as "reckless".

But Verstappen Snr says F1 must get its engines firing.

"Otherwise, teams will really fall over and people will lose their jobs. There are so many contracts at stake," he said.

"Of course, health is the most important thing, but shutting down the entire economy for months is also not an option. Everyone should use their common sense. You can see already that people are going to resist."

For F1, that means coronavirus testing and racing with no spectators in the grandstands, according to Jos.

"15 people work in a Formula 1 car in a quite small space, so you can't keep a meter and half away from each other," he said.

"But a race without journalists also has an advantage for Max: he does not have to give so many interviews," Verstappen laughed.

Jos also said he is relieved Max's management team got a new long-term Red Bull contract sorted out before the pandemic struck.

"If you had to negotiate a new contract in this situation, it would be a distraction," he said.

"We are very happy at Red Bull and I really think that we are closer this year than last season. But we'll see."