Apr.9 (GMM) Alfa Romeo has joined four other F1 teams in furloughing staff amid the coronavirus crisis.

Already, McLaren, Williams, Haas and Racing Point have taken advantage of a scheme in which the UK government pays most of staff salaries during the global shutdown period.

And now Blick newspaper claims Hinwil-based Alfa Romeo is accessing a similar program within Switzerland for many of its 500 staff.

Speed Week reports that the advantage of that scheme is that workers can avoid unemployment, maintain social protection and keep pension schemes alive.

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto said the Maranello team will remain “flexible” about how Formula 1 proceeds, including the possibility of “short race weekends, double races, whenever it (the season) will finish or packing the races together”.

However, Binotto warned that his fellow bosses should “avoid being emotional” about other arrangements, including driving down the 2021 budget cap.

“We must not forget we have different situations, and it’s important we find a common ground where maybe the answer is not a single budget cap equal for all the teams,” he said.