Guenther Steiner hopes that the F1 Eifel GP will be an unknown like how Tuscan GP went but this time due to the weather as Turkey decided against allowing fans in.
While the Mugello weekend was an unknown of a different kind, Haas F1 chief Steiner hopes that Nurburgring can provide same kind of entertainment, especially with the weather conditions projected to be awfully cold and damp during the weekend.
Germany usually holds races in the summer months but COVID-19 brought changes in its schedule, which forced the race to be held in October, when the weather condition is generally cold, damp and not suitable enough for proper racing.
The current prediction is similar with colder conditions to prevail, while rain can play a spoilsport too. The Nurburgring 24 Hours held last weekend had to be red-flagged due to worsening rain as the drivers/teams not only had on-track tussle but also off it.
Steiner hopes to have those unknowns this weekend like how it was at Mugello, the last non-regular F1 venue on the 2020 calendar. In fact, going forward, only Bahrain’s Race 1 and Abu Dhabi are the grand prix where teams have current data to rely on.
“Hopefully we can get a Mugello-style race,” said Steiner. “That was an interesting one for all the teams, all the spectators, basically it was great for everyone involved in it. The unknowns just kept coming towards us. Hopefully the same thing happens this weekend at the Nurburgring.
“As I said before, rain is the prediction for Germany, that will make things even more interesting. The best outcome will be if we have a good race, with lots of variables, and from our perspective, to come home with some points – something we haven’t achieved a lot of this year,” he summed up, as he welcomed Ferrari junior Callum Ilott for FP1 run.
Steiner, though, hopes that the weather allows Ilott to get some good laps under his belt. “The program will be the same as it would be for one of our regular drivers,” he said. “Maybe we tell him (Callum) to be a little bit more careful when he goes out there as at the moment rain is predicted.
“Otherwise, we just always try and work through our FP1 program and do the best we can knowing that for a driver being in his first weekend session in a Formula 1 car – there’s a lot of pressure, a lot of unknowns. We don’t look too much at the time, we’re looking at his consistency and the feedback he can bring to the team.
“That’s where we judge a driver, not on outright pace, because 90 minutes is not a long time to be sitting in a car like a Formula 1 car. We’ll just try to manage that we get feedback and that he gets a good experience with us,” summed up Steiner.
https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1313103168235069441?s=20
Turkey drops fans attendance plan:
In the build-up to the return of the F1 Turkish GP, the organsiers were surging ahead having nearly 100,000 fans in the stands. In fact, they sold about 40,000 tickets as well but all in vain as the Government has now decided to not allow fans for the grand prix.
The decision was revealed on Monday from the Government, where they stated that the Turkish GP will run behind the closed doors during November 13-15 weekend, keeping COVID-19 in mind. It was to be the sixth grand prix with fans in 2020.
Mugello was the first F1 circuit to have them, followed by Sochi, while Nurburging, Portimao and Imola, will also have limited number – where the Portuguese GP is expected to have the most among them, with nearly 40,000 in attendance.
A brief statement from the Government read: “In accordance with the recommendation of the Istanbul Provincial Pandemic Committee the Turkish Grand Prix 2020 race is to be held without spectators.” – no details on return of money was shared.
Las autoridades turcas anuncian que el #TurkishGP deberá disputarse sin espectadores.
Turkish authorities announced that the Turkish GP will run without spectators. pic.twitter.com/LFl1U13ioW
— Albert Fabrega (@AlbertFabrega) October 5, 2020
Here’s details from Pirelli regarding Portimao 2021 tyre test