Louis Deletraz was looking forward to combining a season of Formula Two racing with a reserve role for Haas F1 Team this year, but now the 22-year-old Swiss is worried about what the future might hold.
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into the works for motorsport in general, with racing stalled and fears about the damage done to the sport.
For a young racer like Deletraz, confirmed less than a month ago in his F1 position, that means more obstacles on what is already a tough career path.
Photo: Reuters
“I am definitely worried for the sport in general ... also the economy of the sport, because we rely on a lot of sponsors and on TV rights,” Deletraz told reporters while training at his home outside Geneva, Switzerland.
“Right now, there are no TV rights, because there is no racing and sponsors also are not so keen anymore to do motorsports. So, it puts us in a very bad situation,” he said.
“There are worse things happening in the world, but the sport will suffer from it and I hope we can get back on our feet quite quickly,” he added.
Formula One has yet to get started after a failed attempt to race in Australia last month, with the Monaco Grand Prix glamour highlight also canceled and a string of other races waiting to be rescheduled.
Haas are privately owned and operate on the smallest budget in Formula One, with most of their British-based staff furloughed and the factory shut.
Smaller Formula Two teams are also reliant on sponsorship, broadcast revenues and prize money to stay in business.
Deletraz, who is scheduled to race for Czech Republic-based Charouz Racing System in F2 this year after finishing eighth overall last year with three podiums for Carlin, said that he had not lost funding or sponsors, but added that the situation was not easy.
“In F2 it is obviously less budget than Formula One, we also have sponsors, but the sponsors right now are not in the best shape,” Deletraz said.
“No one wants to spend money outside of themselves, which is right [due] to the crisis, so motorsports go second... So far, it looks OK, but maybe it will be more tough for the next few years,” he said.
“In motorsports you always have to do things early. Contract talks would already start right now for the next season, but we have not even yet started the 2020 season, so it makes it difficult,” he added.
In the absence of racing or testing, e-sports and exercise fills the time for a man used to spending his days on the road.
The son of former F1 and sports car racer Jean-Denis Deletraz is active on several platforms and represents Haas in official F1 virtual races.
He finished seventh on Sunday in a virtual Chinese Grand Prix, with five of those ahead of him either current or past Formula One drivers.
“It is good fun, we play with a lot of friends ... but you don’t have the speed, you don’t have the adrenaline. Also, it is bad to say, but you don’t have the risks,” Louis Deletraz said.
“When you crash, you press restart and you go again. In real life, it is a bit more complicated,” he added.
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
The horn sounded on Wednesday night to signal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Florida Panthers celebrated merely by hopping over the boards and several heading over to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. It was a subdued celebration seemingly more befitting a regular-season win for the reigning Cup champs. “I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: “It’s all business and we’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, with a 5-3 victory in
RSS