Breaking news
Formula E
"High risk" of lockdown violation without live sport - Agag
Formula E chairman and Extreme E boss Alejandro Agag says motorsport must return “as soon as possible” to lower the risk of people breaking coronavirus lockdown rules.
Matt Kew
Published: Apr 21, 2020, 11:47 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The all-new XE electric SUV off-road racing series is still set for a January 2021 start in Senegal, and Agag said the COVID-19 crisis had not delayed the inaugural season.
FE, meanwhile, suspended its 2019-20 calendar initially for two months amid the pandemic before extending the pause through until the end of June.
But Agag stated that the return of sporting events would encourage people to remain at home and in turn follow the lockdown restrictions imposed by many countries.
Speaking during an online XE press conference, Agag said: “I think sport needs to be put back on as soon as possible.
“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.
“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 give them entertainment, the risk of people breaking the confinement is higher. Sport has a big role to play.”
Agag added that, although events taking place without spectators was not a long-term solution, sports could play a “social function” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said: “I think sports behind closed doors hopefully is not the future because that will be a sad future. But for the short term, it’s the only way.
“I defend sports behind closed doors because at least you give something to entertain the fans - they need it.
“Sports will play a social function in this time of COVID. We need to get back behind closed doors as soon as possible.”
Read Also:
Agag also said that the concept for XE, which will transport its freight and key staff to event locations aboard the refitted RHS St Helena, is 'almost virus-proof'.
He said: “When we designed Extreme E we didn’t know there was going to be a pandemic, we didn’t know there was going to be a virus.
“But if you think about it, Extreme E is almost a virus-proof sport. It is the only sport that I know that is designed to be competed without spectators.
“We have no public at our events. We are contained on a ship, we can test everyone that goes on that ship. We can make sure the ship is COVID free.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article No decision about Formula E's Gen3 car until summer
Next article Formula E could introduce further cost cutting measures
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Matt Kew
Marko suggests Perez's improved F1 form because 2025 contract at stake
Formula 1
Formula 1
Japanese GP
Marko suggests Perez's improved F1 form because 2025 contract at stake
Russell explains how low-fuel runs expose Mercedes F1 inconsistency
Formula 1
Formula 1
Japanese GP
Russell explains how low-fuel runs expose Mercedes F1 inconsistency
Leclerc: No answer for "once in a season" Japan F1 qualifying struggle
Formula 1
Formula 1
Japanese GP
Leclerc: No answer for "once in a season" Japan F1 qualifying struggle
Latest news
Robert Kubica announces exit from AF Corse’s privateer Hypercar in WEC
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
25 min
Robert Kubica announces exit from AF Corse’s privateer Hypercar in WEC
Charles Leclerc penalised for Liam Lawson clash; Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also punished after F1 Brazilian GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
50 min
Charles Leclerc penalised for Liam Lawson clash; Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also punished after F1 Brazilian GP
Max Verstappen "needs to understand what happened" after "night and day" F1 comeback in Brazilian GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
52 min
Max Verstappen "needs to understand what happened" after "night and day" F1 comeback in Brazilian GP
LIVE: NASCAR Cup season finale at Homestead lap-by-lap updates
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
1 h
LIVE: NASCAR Cup season finale at Homestead lap-by-lap updates
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe