ITR chairman Gerhard Berger has ruled out DTM hosting races without spectators, even as the corona virus crisis is expected to prevent mass gatherings of any kind for several months.
With the COVID-19 situation deteriorating in recent months, countries around the world have locked down their citizens in their houses, and the general plan is to ease restrictions in a systematic manner once the worst of the crisis is behind.
This would mean that even when the lockdown ends, people may not necessarily be able to attend major sporting or cultural events, prompting several championships to discuss the possibility of running ghost events for TV-only audiences.
However, Berger is against the idea of running DTM races in the absence of trackside spectators, telling Red Bull-owned ServusTV: “Our customers are called fans.
“And if the fans aren’t there, there won’t be any races.”
Berger added that he is keen for racing to resume as soon as the corona virus subsides, as he believes a swift return to normality will help soften the economic blow from the pandemic.
“At the moment, I think everyone understands that you can’t gather 50,000 or 100,000 people in one place,” said Berger.
With the COVID-19 situation deteriorating in recent months, countries around the world have locked down their citizens in their houses, and the general plan is to ease restrictions in a systematic manner once the worst of the crisis is behind.
This would mean that even when the lockdown ends, people may not necessarily be able to attend major sporting or cultural events, prompting several championships to discuss the possibility of running ghost events for TV-only audiences.
However, Berger is against the idea of running DTM races in the absence of trackside spectators, telling Red Bull-owned ServusTV: “Our customers are called fans.
“And if the fans aren’t there, there won’t be any races.”
Berger added that he is keen for racing to resume as soon as the corona virus subsides, as he believes a swift return to normality will help soften the economic blow from the pandemic.
“At the moment, I think everyone understands that you can’t gather 50,000 or 100,000 people in one place,” said Berger.
Source: https://www.autosport.com/dtm/news/148936/dtm-rules-out-hosting-races-behind-closed-doors