François Sicard: “Health is our priority”

How is confinement organized for the Dams team?

We closed the business, we went on leave until April 6, knowing that the races will not start again before the end of May, now. It's an opportunity to take a little rest, to recharge the batteries because when things start again, the pace will be sustained, both for the activity F2 which Formula E. We will have a very compact, very dense schedule. You will have to be in good shape.

Have you sent messages to best occupy this period of inactivity, both physically and morally?

Not particularly, because the first instruction was really to respect the rules laid down by the government concerning confinement. We told all employees that without them, the company would not exist. Their health is our priority because without them, we would do nothing. So the watchword was to protect themselves and their loved ones. We will wait until this epidemic is contained to gradually return to work. Perhaps first remotely, in the form of teleworking, before returning to the workshop.

Do you already have a vision of the possible economic repercussions for your activity?

It's too early. But we talked about it between all the teams, we are facing a slowdown in the entire global economy and that is never very good. At our level, we expect to go through difficult times and turbulence, and we will have to be ready to face them. It's a tough blow. But everyone is on the same page, it’s global. We can legitimately think that motorsport activity will be impacted, but saying exactly what will happen is currently premature.

Personally, are you spending this time doing activities for which you don't usually have time?

When you called me, I was reading Motorsport Magazine. I have already read the digital edition of AUTOhebdo last night ! You see, I still stay connected. But, above all, we have our two children, our 22-year-old daughter and our 20-year-old son, students in Paris, who have returned home and we are enjoying their presence with my wife. It’s an opportunity to get together that wasn’t planned and we’re taking advantage of it. We are also lucky enough to be near a forest, so we can go and stretch our legs while remaining reasonable and respecting the rules of confinement. But I admit that I am already looking forward to returning to the world of circuits.

Discover all the latest motorsport news and our report on the impact of the coronavirus in issue 2259 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms and on newsstands.