Agag: Racing behind closed doors the 'only way' forward

Formula E founder Alejandro Agag says a rapid return of racing and sports in general, taking place behind closed doors, will encourage people to stay home and therefore help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several months after the onslaught of the coronavirus, lockdown measures remain in force in many countries, with no clear indication as to when the pandemic will subside and allow for a return to normality.

Agag believes that closed door events are the immediate way forward for the sporting world as they will help strengthen confinement measures by keeping everyone entertained.

• Zandvoort takes another hit as Holland bans events until September

"Even if it’s behind closed doors, and I think we’ll have to be behind closed doors, people need entertainment while they’re at home," the Spaniard told the media on Tuesday.

"If you give them football, if you give them motorsport, if you give them reasons to stay at home, they will stay more happier at home.

"If you don’t give them anything, if you don’t entertain them, the risk of people breaking the confinement is higher."

Organisers of the Austrian and British Grands Prix, the two races that could open the 2020 F1 season, have said that they would be willing to run their events without any spectators, depending on commercial arrangements with Formula 1.

But not every promoter is on board with that idea. Dutch Grand Prix boss Jan Lammers is resolutely against a closed-door event at Zandvoort.

Yet Agag insists that racing at empty venues represents the best solution in the near term to get the sport up and running while keeping fans safe at home.

"I think sports behind closed doors hopefully is not the future because that will be a sad future," he said.

"But for the short term, it’s the only way and it looks like it’s going to be the only way still for some time."

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