Seidl explains "difficult" McLaren furlough decision
McLaren Formula 1 chief Andreas Seidl has explained the "difficult" decision to furlough a number of the team's staff amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
McLaren announced at the beginning of April it would furloughing staff under a British government scheme due to the anticipated financial pressures of the crisis.
The scheme sees the government pay up to 80% of employee wages, and ensures their jobs will be protected in the long term.
McLaren also confirmed its senior team members, including drivers Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, plus CEO Zak Brown, had taken pay cuts.
Haas, Racing Point, Renault and Williams have taken similar action, furloughing staff and introducing pay cuts in a bid to aid their futures.
Asked by Motorsport.com about the decision to furlough staff, Seidl said it was necessary due to the uncertainty over the severity of the crisis's economic impact.
"It's still not clear yet, and it's simply impossible to know what the financial impact will be of this crisis," Seidl said.
"We know that we are not going racing at the moment. We know that we will miss income this year, and this is why we had to put different measures in place in order to make sure we are protecting our people, protecting the team to be in a position that once this crisis is over, to restart again in the best possible shape.
"One of these measures was putting our people on furlough, which was obviously, also for myself, one of the most difficult decisions or things I've had to do in my working life, telling our people to be on furlough and taking also pay cuts.
"But again, we were clear together with Zak that it's a decision we had to make again to make sure we protect the team as good as possible."
The only McLaren staff currently working at the team's Woking factory are those assigned to the 'Project Pitlane' programme, producing ventilators that will be used to assist COVID-19 patients.
The team is observing the enforced shutdown that is currently set to run for five weeks while there is no racing, with larger projects such the new wind tunnel and new simulator both on hold.
"The entire factory apart from the ventilator production is in full shutdown at the moment, so this means also the infrastructure projects are on hold," Seidl said.
"We simply need to see now together with all our companies and suppliers working together on this project how big the delays will be once we get going again."
Podcast: Should F1 scrap Monaco or Silverstone?
Solberg joins Virtual GP field as Norris, Sainz drop out
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work
How Vegas went from byword for F1 indifference to grand Liberty coup
Holding a race in Las Vegas – party central, a city of dreams and decadence and, yes, more than a smattering of tackiness – has been on Liberty Media’s most-wanted list since it acquired Formula 1’s commercial rights. But, as LUKE SMITH explains, F1 has been here before and the relationship didn’t work out
Why de Vries' FP1 outing could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
Why Leclerc's crash shouldn't put off F1 drivers tasting history
OPINION: For a demo run ahead of Monaco's Historique Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was blessed with the opportunity to drive Niki Lauda's former Ferrari 312B3 - but a brake failure at Rascasse suggested Leclerc's Monaco hoodoo transcended contemporary F1. Although an awkward incident, Leclerc deserves credit for embracing F1's history.
Why the lack of "needle" between Red Bull and Ferrari is a mirage
OPINION: The fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world titles between Red Bull and Ferrari so far features little of the public animosity that developed between the former and Mercedes last year. But that isn’t to say things are full on friendly or won’t get much worse very quickly…
The underdog F1 squad that thrust Senna into the limelight
The Toleman TG184 was the car that could, according to legend, have given Ayrton Senna his first F1 win but for Alain Prost and Jacky Ickx at Monaco in 1984. That could be stretching the boundaries of the truth a little, but as STUART CODLING explains, the team's greatest legacy was in giving the Brazilian prodigy passed over by bigger outfits an opportunity
Why Aston Martin is unlikely to repeat Jaguar’s F1 mistakes
Two famous manufacturer teams born out of humble midfield origins, splashing the cash while attempting to rise to the top of F1 in record time. There are clear parallels between Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin and the doomed Jaguar Racing project of 22 years ago, but Mark Gallagher believes struggling Aston can avoid a similar fate.
How rejuvenated Haas recovered its F1 mojo
US-owned but until recently Russian-backed, Haas seems to have reached a turning point in car performance after three gruesome seasons. And it needs to if it’s to attract fresh investment. Team boss Gunther Steiner tells Oleg Karpov how close Haas came to the abyss.