Brown: F1 can't let guard down as UK COVID cases spike
Formula 1 chiefs and teams have been urged not to let their guard down amid concerns it could face a "rocky" few weeks as COVID-19 cases spike in the UK.
With Britain, where seven of F1’s teams are based, experiencing a rapid acceleration in new cases, there are worries that the situation could get even worse when the UK government lifts many restrictions on Monday.
That could pose a problem for British teams if personnel start getting taken down by the virus and find themselves unable to work.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who tested positive for coronavirus ahead of this weekend, felt it important that even though the British government was relaxing its stance, that F1 kept strict tests in place to capture any outbreaks early.
“We need a lot of test and trace, and testing,” said Brown, speaking to media via a video call ahead of the British Grand Prix.
“I think it's going to be a handful and we as McLaren, and the teams and probably F1, I think we have to not let our guard down. We need to do everything we've been doing the last year and a half, even as the government opens up.
“I now think I understand what they're doing with the testing, which is let's open up and see what happens, and it looks like hospitalisations aren't moving anywhere near the same rate.
"So hopefully we come through this and see the vaccine is doing its job of keeping people healthy.
“But am I concerned? Yeah I think it's going to create this topic, and everyone's got an opinion.
"And I'm sure, when it breaks through the double vaccination, it's going to have negative impacts on some people.
"So, yeah, I think the next 30-60 days is going to be a bit rocky.”
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Brown said that he was completely taken aback when he was informed on Thursday that he had tested positive for coronavirus.
“I've been fully vaccinated with Pfizer since March, so I was shocked to get the phone call,” he explained.
“I test myself every morning with a lateral flow test at home, just to be on the safe side, and then do obviously everything that McLaren requires and F1 requires.
“When I got the phone call, I was shocked because I felt fine. My symptoms lasted for five hours and, at best, I would have taken an aspirin and still worked.
“They were almost nothing. I feel completely fine now, but obviously I’m isolating for the 10 days and continuing to get tested.”
Related video
How We'll Know If F1's Sprint Races Worked
Virtual Onboard - Silverstone GP
Uncovering Silverstone's engineering secrets for F1 success
Formula 1 returns to Silverstone this weekend, but despite its familiarity to all the teams it is no picnic. Here are five of the key points for engineers to consider prior to the British Grand Prix
The changing faces of F1’s British GP conquerors
The British Grand Prix is where the world championship began in 1950. STUART CODLING looks at six of Formula 1's era-defining cars which have all scored memorable victories in its original race
The ‘special relationship’ Ferrari will hope to exploit at Silverstone
OPINION: Ferrari might have snubbed the very first world championship race on British soil but the Scuderia and the UK went on to enjoy some deep connections. As BEN EDWARDS explains, theirs is a shared history that is waiting for its next chapter to be written...
When driver aids have the opposite effect
They're the tools that a driver can rely on to get them out of a fix, but driver aids don't always make their lives easier. As Lewis Hamilton's accidental application of the Mercedes 'magic button' in Baku demonstrates, there can be a downside to driver aids
How Stroll plans to build Aston Martin into F1 world champions
The transformation from modest Racing Point to powerhouse Aston Martin is well underway under the stewardship of Lawrence Stroll and his healthy chequebook, all with the sole focus on one goal: becoming Formula 1 world champions
The political manoeuvring behind F1's return to British GP normality
OPINION: Formula 1 heads back to Silverstone this weekend for the 2021 British Grand Prix, where a full-capacity crowd will return after a painful absence in the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Here’s how the pieces that permitted a part of returning ‘normal’ life were arranged
The champion traits that Hamilton will draw on in Mercedes’ sternest test
Lewis Hamilton has swept all before him in recent seasons, becoming F1’s most successful driver ever. Building himself into the ultimate grand prix winning machine wasn’t the work of a moment, and the traits he has picked up along the way will prove crucial in his 2021 battle with Max Verstappen, as BEN ANDERSON explains
Why there’s far more to Russell than qualifying specialism
Forget the ridiculous ‘Mr Saturday’ tag. There’s more to George Russell than impressive qualifying statistics. This thrillingly complete young talent is driving Williams out of the doldrums even as he eyes a future at Mercedes, says LUKE SMITH
