The decisions F1 is taking to avert disaster

What a difference a week makes. Only seven days ago, Formula 1 was reeling from the cancellation of the 2020 Australian Grand Prix - specifically the handling of an unfolding crisis, which was naive at best and shambolic at worst.

Now, the championship's key stakeholders have taken a series of decisions that are clearly designed to protect various elements of F1 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last seven days have been very F1 news-heavy - although a drop in the ocean compared with the many reports coming in covering the wider coronavirus crisis. But the big three announcements were that F1's 2020 summer shutdown has been extended - from 14 to 21 days - and brought forward to March/April; the 2021 rules revolution has been postponed until 2022; and the Dutch, Spanish and Monaco races had been removed from their expected dates in May. Monaco has dropped off the calendar entirely for this year.

These are key decisions that represent the kind of leadership and decisiveness that appeared to be missing before and for much of the aborted Melbourne event.

By moving the summer break to the spring - all teams must "observe a shutdown period of 21 consecutive days during the months of March and/or April" per an FIA statement - F1 opens up additional August weekends that would traditionally not feature races for a rejigged calendar.

But this also has the effect of equalising the impact of the containment measures currently being implemented in Europe, where the teams are based. These are currently quite widespread in terms of their application, with Italy (where Ferrari, AlphaTauri and Haas' chassis builder Dallara are based), in particular, but also France (where Renault's engine division is housed), enacting major lockdowns.

In the UK, where the majority of teams are based, people are being urged to work from home, but no enforced shutdown has so far been issued.

The move to postpone the races at Zandvoort and Barcelona makes complete sense given the increasing likelihood that disruption to daily life - let alone sporting events - will go on for several months rather than weeks.

It had seemed odd in Australia that the decision to cancel that event had not been taken until the F1 paddock had rocked up in Melbourne. But then things really did seem different to so many of us, and the possibility of racing that weekend was real. It seems that much of the world - and many in the media - had not quite grasped the seriousness of the situation.

Given the questions being asked of many western governments right now, F1 can be granted a degree of understanding for the delay in abandoning the Australian race. However, many other major sports leagues and organisations had taken the decision to call off events days and even weeks earlier...

The coronavirus crisis is sure to cause F1 more problems - probably even once things go back to normal. If the coming months result in economic catastrophe, this will impact all teams

Nevertheless, by calling off the Dutch and Spanish races - in addition to the already postponed events in Bahrain, Vietnam and China - F1 has made the right call.

The Monaco situation is entirely unique. The event does not pay the enormous race hosting fees other circuits and promoters must - a legacy of the Principality's place in F1 folklore. By not needing to offset the books with major income from ticket sales, the Automobile Club de Monaco was able to make the decision to call off the 2020 race without taking a major financial hit.

But it is the decision to postpone the 2021 rules reset that is surely the most impressive from this week's glut of news.

The move to make the cars sleeker and less dependent on ugly aerodynamic devices is aimed at improving F1's racing and overall value as an entertainment product. It is set to be the first major impact Liberty Media has made on F1's actual sporting side, given the rules for the current cars were pushed through under Bernie Ecclestone's watch. So, the decision to postpone these changes for a year was a big one.

But it makes complete sense, as does the call to use the cars that have been developed for the 2020 season in 2021. It is still unclear what, if any, racing will take place this year, but by taking away the need for the teams to develop the new challengers while focusing on their current cars, and grapple with the inevitable economic issues the coronavirus disruption will bring, F1 and its stakeholders have eased a big burden.

It by no means completely safeguards the teams - which are all businesses, some operating on the edge, let's not forget - but it is a very sensible move.

The teams are now set to develop their new cars during the 2021 season, which will be run under F1's new financial rules - including the cost cap. They could still choose to start design work for the 2022 cars when the factories resume full operations this year - assuming they can, given the current social measures being implement/mooted - but the financial stress of the coming months is likely to prevent this approach being taken.

The coronavirus crisis is sure to cause F1 more problems before it is over - and probably even once things go back to normal. If the coming months result in economic catastrophe, this will have an impact on all teams.

Manufacturers have a history of leaving the championship during times of financial difficulty - just look at the 2008 crash, when Honda, Toyota and BMW pulled the plug. That's not to say this will happen with F1's current crop of major car makers, and hopefully it won't. But it could.

All teams also rely on sponsorship money to keep their financial states healthy - something that has been an issue in recent times even without the probable coming squeeze that is feared. And, as Claire Williams has pointed out, there is also the prize fund allocation to consider, which will likely be reduced if races cannot be held as F1 can't keep the hosting fees paid by race promoters from which the teams get their shares.

At the same time as facing up to the harsh realities of the current situation, there are at last some potential positives to consider.

First, if all the teams will now develop their 2022 cars to the new rules under the cost cap, then that surely reduces the advantages held by the bigger teams, who in theory could spend much more before the cost cap comes into effect. So, even if F1 has to wait a long time for competition to resume, then there's every chance the racing will be better when that point does arrive.

The 2021 rules were set to be the first major impact Liberty Media has made on F1's actual sporting side - so the decision to postpone these changes for a year was a big one

F1 has also announced two further positive stories. That a collective of UK-based teams, which are Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, Racing Point, Haas, Renault and Williams - is working to help the British government to help supply components for medical components is one. And so is that an official Esports series of Virtual Grands Prix will be held, as online racing is surely better than no racing at all.

These are of course minor developments in a rapidly changing world, but, allied with the steps F1 has taken this week to try and avert the disaster the coronavirus situation has forced upon the industry, such steps are very much better than silence and buried heads.