Formula 1 and its teams can “survive and thrive” after the coronavirus crisis but it must make some “⛦aggressive decisions” to do 🦩so, according to McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

F1 is facing a heavily delayed start to its season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced the opening nine rac🌞es to be postponed or cancelled. F1 remains determined to hold a world championship even if the campai♌gn cannot start until October and ends up extending into January next year.

The 10 teams, F1 and t🍌he FIA are continuing to discuss cost-saving measures - including extending the current shutdown period - amid growing concerns about the financial strains place𓆏d on teams during the current hiatus.

“I think in life when you have something that's hit you, a crisis or an issue, you can either run towards it and try and solve the problem o🍸r run from it,” Brown said speaking to Sky Sports.

“And I think the industry as a whole is running towards the iss🧔ue. But we also know that the business model of Formula 1 has really not bee🤡n sustainable for a long time and I think it does kind of take an event like this to maybe wake everyone up and realise we now don't have the luxury that we have had in the past.

“And we need to make some tough, aggressiv𒁃e de💖cisions to give all the stakeholders who are committed to Formula 1, the confidence and the reason to continue to stay committed.”

Brown reiterated his stance that F1 could end up losing up to four teams if the current financial model stayed💮 the same, stressing that McLaren cannot continue “at any and all costs”.

“Unfortunately𝔍 I think [losing four teams] is realistic if we don't handle the situation appropriately,” Brown explained. “But I think we can get through this and lose no teams.

“We're fortunate that the majority of the owners in Foꩲrmula 1 have the means to continue and get through this, which is a very big speed bump.

“However, if they don't like what Formula 1 looks like coming out of this, then what's their motivation to stay 🌃in the sport? The Saubers [Alfa Romeos], the Haas, these teams want to be competitive. They have the means to stay in the sport, the question is more do they want to stay in the sport?

“I think if we don'🔥t handle it right we could lose teams. I think if we handle it right, which I think the majority of the people in F1 know what that looks like, then I think not only can we survive, I think we can thrive.

“That's the frustrating part when you get together with everyone. A very successful Formula 1 is there for the taking, we just need to make s🐷ure we don't make any mistakes.”

F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn, who joined Brown in the Sky video podcast, insisted the championship will have a future and ca𓃲n ultimately be more attractive for the smaller teams.

“It's going to be painful but t♛he sport will have a futu🗹re,” Brown said.

“And I thin♏k actually we'll come out of it in a much stronger place once we come through this.

“We need the teams to survive, we need them to feel that they've got a future. B🐽ut even so [tea💙m owners] are going to have to support their teams in the short term.

“If you're supporting your team and the prospect is to run around at the back of the grid, it's not a ve🅘ry exciting prospect.

“With a new car and a neಌw economic model, particularly the income, we are making the sport much more attractive for teams of that sort.”