18/03/2020
NEWS STORY
As Chase Carey was apologising to fans for the issues facing F1 at present, FIA president, Jean Todt was offering his support and solidarity to the motorsport community.
While the F1 supremo wrote an open letter to fans through the sport's official website, Todt, who was criticised for his handling of the Melbourne weekend, offered a statement on the FIA website and subsequently followed it up with a personal message on his own Twitter account.
"Dear friends," he began, "as the world is going through a historic pandemic, I want to tell you how close I am to all of you.
"As you are aware, the situation is critical and constantly evolving," he continued. "Protecting people has to be the priority.
"I would like to express my support and solidarity to all citizens and to those who contribute to motor sport and mobility.
"As you know we have to consider postponing events scheduled within the next week, and at this stage e have no clear visibility when our life will be back to normal.
"It is our shared responsibility to take all the necessary measures, and I urge you to strictly apply to the WHO's instructions and those of your national governments.
"Only individual discipline will allow us to overcome this virus. Together we will do it."
In his letter on the FIA website, Todt paid tribute to the efforts of National Sporting Authorities while revealing that FIA staff in Paris and Geneva will work from home.
Referring to those events that have already been cancelled or postponed, and those that follow, he reiterated his support and solidarity.
"Since December 2019, the world has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic," he writes. "No continent has been spared. The FIA is closely monitoring the development of the situation. Since February, an ad-hoc commission chaired by Professor G. Saillant, President of the Medical Commission, has been constantly assessing the impact of the crisis on our federation, its employees, its clubs, and the events that it organises. Many decisions have already been taken, and others soon will be, in order to help prevent the spread of the virus around the world.
"We have had to cancel or postpone many of our championship events: Formula 1, WRC, WEC, RX, Formula E, etc. Our thoughts are with the ASNs that had dedicated time and energy to organising these events and that looked forward to hosting them. I share their disappointment, and would like to express my support and solidarity. To the extent possible, with the promoters of these championships, we will review all the calendars and try to reschedule some of those races later this year.
"Our clubs have also not been spared. The Asia-Pacific Sport Regional Congress, which was to take place in Hanoi at the beginning of April, had to be cancelled. We will try, but cannot promise, to relocate it to Bangkok during the FIA Sport Conference in June.
"Finally, our main FIA commission meetings that were originally scheduled to take place over the next few weeks have been postponed, or will be held via videoconference where possible.
"Regarding our staff in the FIA Paris and Geneva offices, their health is my top priority. I have therefore decided to adapt the way we work based on the guidelines set out by the French and Swiss governments. Primarily, staff have been asked to work from home. We have put in place the IT solutions required to ensure that all FIA departments continue to function properly. They will therefore be reachable, ready to help and assist you with any needs you may have.
"The world is going through a health crisis that it has never before experienced, and that is affecting each and every one of us. In order to combat this virus together, we must temporarily change our way of working. I hope that this will enable us to resume a normal life in the coming weeks. I know that I can count on your support. Of course, I will continue to keep you informed on the development of this crisis in terms of its impact on the FIA, and invite you to do the same in regards to the situation in your country."