At least 1,000 people on the track are required for ghost races
F1 expert explains the process of ghost races
Formula 1 is still standing still due to the global corona crisis, and the planned start of the season in Canada in June has meanwhile been canceled. The Formula 1 bosses want to save the season with ghost races without spectators and hope for a start in Silverstone (England) in early July. The right idea for RTL Formula 1 expert Christian Danner. “There is no question that this is a compromise. However, it is a compromise that we can hopefully make so that we can even take place,” said Danner in the RTL interview. But the implementation of a ghost race in Formula 1 is much more complicated than, for example, ghost games in football. “I believe that we have around 1,000 or 1,500 people there who ensure that the thing can not only run but also be visible will, “explains the former racing driver.
Around 50 to 60 people are required per team
“As far as the teams are concerned, I think that is certainly an issue. You will be able to make ends meet with 50, 60 men”, says the RTL expert. With ten teams you would already have 500 to 600 participants.
But that was far from all. Even in a ghost race, everything that characterizes a modern Grand Prix is part of it. “From the stewards to the marshals, the doctors, the helicopters,” explains Danner, hundreds of other participants are needed. The safety regulations for protecting pilots are strict in Formula 1.
So there are countless marshals around the entire race track, which ensure a safe race. The German Grand Prix in Hockenheim 2019 saw over 350 marshals in action – more than 500 people ensured a safe racing weekend behind the scenes. The numbers at other Grands Prix should be similar.
A lot of logistics along the route is necessary for TV broadcasting
Another complex topic: bringing Formula 1 to the fans’ screens at all. “If the drivers drive there without a spectator, nobody notices if there is no camera”, Danner says in the RTL interview. “A football stadium is more compact than a race track with five or six kilometers. You need a lot of logistics in Formula One. It’s easier said than done.” Dozens of employees who distribute the live signals all over the world are required for the TV broadcast.
Even if the organization of a ghost race is quite complicated, the former Formula 1 driver is happy that the racing series wants to drive and is currently checking where that could be when. Two or three races in one place are already under discussion – if necessary, all without spectators. “We prefer to drive without a single spectator and without a single journalist,” says Danner, “but we drive. Because that’s what motorsport benefits from and what ensures survival.”