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Could F1 Drivers Use an App to Minimize Coronavirus Contamination?

Published 04/30/2020, 7:32 AM EDT

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At long last, the 2020 Formula One season can finally kick off, almost four months later. So, the Austrian Grand Prix is set to act as the season opener in a truncated season. This is because the F1 calendar is almost halved. Especially after 10 rounds dropped off due to COVID-19 concerns.

Of course, this does not mean that Austria has a clean chit on the COVID-19 front. So, the Austrian authorities insist that important safety measures to safeguard everyones’ health. Everyone present on the circuit should have as little contact as possible with the outside world. This is in order to minimize the risk of coronavirus contamination and having everyone go back to square one.

So, Grand Prix Drivers Association president, Alex Wurz has come up with a temporary solution. The GPDA president and former F1 driver proposed that everyone use an app. “It would allow us to be tracked on our mobile phone so that if something happens we would be informed immediately,” he explained.

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via Imago

How does this work and will F1 go for it?

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According to the Austrian, it should not pose a major problem for drivers. This is because, an anti-doping procedure uses a similiar system.

The former Benetton driver spoke to ORF in an interview. He said, Every professional athlete, including those in Formula 1, should make his position known every day,” .

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Wurz briefly explains how he sees the app working. “If someone gets infected, it immediately warns all the others and the need for quarantine for those who have come into contact with him. In this way, people would be contacted and instructed immediately,” he explained.

To be honest, this app sound good in theory, but the practical application remains to be seen. There is also a posibility that not all drivers may agree to this notion

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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