F1 to scrap traditional podium celebrations with new format for 2020

The traditional podium celebrations of trophy presentations and spraying champagne are set to be put on hold in favour of a new more socially distant format, Ross Brawn has confirmed.

Perhaps one of the most iconic everlasting images of F1 as a series, the post-race podium celebrations have been a familiar fixture of every event ever since the sport began.

However, under new plans to ensure safe distances are maintained and contact is minimised, Brawn says the podium procedure won’t take place as it is.

Though final plans are still being formalised, he says it will instead bear a resemblance to the recent post-qualifying process of lining the top three cars at the end of the warm-down lap on the home straight.

“The podium procedure can’t happen [as it does now], but we’re looking at doing something on the grid after the race,” he told the official F1 website. “One option would be to line the cars up on the track and the drivers will stand in front of cars.

“We can’t present the trophies, as you can’t have someone in close proximity presenting a trophy, but we have worked it out, we have plans and procedures, we’re looking at how we can present it on TV.”

It isn’t the only F1 tradition that cannot work under the current requirements, with the busy F1 grid walk set to be scrapped for now (presumably meaning no Martin Brundle roving around), while the driver parade will be replaced by individual interviews in front of the team garage before the race.

“Things like the national anthem, you can’t have all the drivers grouped together and you can’t have our FIA Future Stars stood in front of them. The FIA Future Stars will still be part of the show virtually. They will have the uniforms sent to them and they’ll send us videos of them with a message which we can play so there are lots of things we can do to make it entertaining.

“The drivers' parade won’t happen as we can’t put 20 drivers on the back of a truck and take it round the track, so instead we will interview with each one of them in front of the garage.

“There’s plenty of ways we can engage without compromising health and safety.

“I’m 100% confident that we will make it an engaging and exciting product, it will just be different. This is the new norm. How long will this carry on? We don’t know, but this will be the new norm for the rest of the year for sure.”