Brundle: Still a chance F1 has 'representative season'

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Former F1 driver and Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle believes Formula 1 can still enjoy a "representative" season in 2020, even in the event of multiple cancellation.

The coronavirus crisis has completely disrupted the start of the F1 world championship, with the sport officially canceling or postponing seven races so far, with a tentative kick-off now expected - or rather hoped for - in Baku in June.

But Brundle says a partially truncated season could still crown a worthy winner at the end of the day.

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"It looks to me, just my opinion, it looks like April and May are a complete write-off for everybody, everywhere in this part of the world," Brundle told Sky Sports News on Thursday morning.

"So the championship, for what it's worth, needs a minimum of eight races, maximum of 22 this year, which is clearly not going to happen.

"I think if we do get up and running I could easily see 16 or 17 races, just coming thick and fast, triple-headers, quadruple-headers, maybe one week off and then go again."

The former Grand Prix driver reckons that significant adjustments to the race weekend's timetable could be in order. But Brundle dismisses the dismal prospect of running races behind closed gates.

"They'll shorten the weekend, maybe, just to two days rather than three," added the 60-year-old.

"The thought of great circuits like Silverstone, running a race but having no crowd, they just can't do that, they'll go broke frankly. So we need to wait until we can get a crowd and do this properly.

"But I do think there's a chance we could have a representative Formula 1 season and remember, back in Sir Stirling Moss' day and Fangio's day, there were seven or eight [races] in a championship.

"In my day, with Michael Schumacher in it and [Ayrton] Senna, we had 15 or 16 races and nobody feels any less impressed by those great champions of those days for having less races in a season."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.