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By Katlyn Eriksen

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: How can the Canadian Grand Prix go ahead? Looking at the factors

Apr 23, 2021 | 9:07 AM

The Canadian Grand Prix was finally set to take place in June 2021, yet, according to various news sources, is once again facing cancellation. Reuters cited the movement of new COVID-19 variants within the country as a big factor behind a likely cancellation, but there is more beneath the surface creating bumps in the road when it comes to motorsport events. Indeed, a grand prix is a huge event that has a lot of planning behind it. From a point of total standstill, the industry faces a myriad of challenges to get back on track.

The logistical factor

Formula 1 is a huge logistical mission. The costs of hosting an F1 race reached US$1 billion in 2017, and those costs have only increased. Reaching an agreement with cities for road closures for street circuits, and the cost of preparing bespoke circuits entails its own issues. Personnel is another matter – police, fire and medical among them. That’s before you look at the costs of shipping individual teams. Figures highlight that each F1 team moves, on average, US$8 million of cargo – 50 tonnes – every year, with the cost of a single race equalling out at the weight of approximately eight elephants. This process has been easy when all the parts were already working, and a cycle was in place – with the complete cessation of racing, getting from a standstill to full operation is difficult.

Hitches in the process

That logistical question is before you consider the impact of the pandemic on individual drivers. Pierre Gasly is the most recent F1 driver to be diagnosed with the virus, and five others came before him, according to ESPN. A single absence can create a huge problem for the close-knit nature of F1 driving teams, and impact on the ability of an entire team to race. That might be good for other teams, but it takes away from the spectacle of the race, and can potentially kill revenues that would otherwise have been generated from spectators looking for their favourite drivers.

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The spectator factor

According to Auto Sport, the F1 authority had made its intention clear to welcome back spectators to the majority of races. This is a hugely important factor in the sport. Ultra-rich spectators and backers have long been part of the Formula 1 background, with the sport sometimes described as an influence playground for the richest people across the globe. With the removal of spectators and the opportunity to network, revenue streams have been removed from the sport, impacting its overall viability and ability to make money. As with all sports, profit is the name of the game, and so far, this factor has had untold damage.

How can the Canadian Grand Prix go ahead? The current conditions that sports face is making its future uncertain, but there is a way forwards. In simple terms, that will require a gargantuan effort to move logistics forward and put more money into the sport.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.