F1 | Ross Brawn: “The podium procedure will be changed”

Formula 1 will return to the track at the beginning of July with a double appointment in Austria on the Red Bull Ring circuit. Due to the recent pandemic, however, there will be many procedures that will have to be modified to comply with social distancing rules, just as the wearing of masks in team garages will be mandatory.

The procedures of the starting grid and the Drivers' parade, in fact, will see substantial changes, reducing possible contacts to a minimum. The same will apply to the podium ceremony, which will be completely redesigned, as Ross Brawn explained: “The podium procedure may not be what we have now, but we are thinking of doing something on the grid after the race. One of the options would be to line up the cars with the drivers in front of their cars.”

Most likely, therefore, the procedure could be similar to that seen in post-qualifying, where the top three drivers park their cars on the starting straight. At the moment, however, Formula 1 is still working on the trophy presentation ceremony: “We cannot deliver the trophies, as we cannot due to the distancing rules, but we have worked on it, we have plans and procedures, we are understanding how to show it on TV,” added Ross Brawn.