Morning chaos as #F1 @ROLEX @ausgrandprix 2020 called off. #AusGP

Confusion, chaos and anger was the story this morning as the inevitable announcement came that the season-opening Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2020 had been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The news followed after it was confirmed the McLaren Racing team withdrew from the event last night after one of it’s team personnel had tested positive for CONVID-19, which lead to speculation about whether the entire weekend would be called off.

In a joint statement today from Formula 1, the sport governing body, the FIA and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation said:

Following the confirmation that a member of the McLaren Racing Team has tested positive for COVID-19 and the team’s decision to withdraw from the Australian Grand Prix, the FIA and Formula 1 convened a meeting of the other nine team principals on Thursday evening. Those discussions concluded with a majority view of the teams that the race should not go ahead. The FIA and Formula 1, with the full support of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) have therefore taken the decision that all Formula 1 activity for the Australian Grand Prix is cancelled.”

We appreciate this is very disappointing news for the thousands of fans due to attend the race and all ticket holders will receive a full refund and a further announcement will be communicated in due course.

All parties took into consideration the huge efforts of the AGPC, Motorsport Australia, staff and volunteers to stage the opening round of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship in Melbourne, however concluded that the safety of all members of the Formula 1 family and the wider community, as well as the fairness of the competition take priority. Credit to the F1, FIA and AGPC for the statement.

The longly overdue decision, felt by Formula 1, FIA, AGPC, the teams and drivers was the right move with Ferrari issuing this press release supporting the cancellation of the 25th running of the Australian Grand Prix as all other teams followed suit.

Melbourne 13 March 2020

 

Scuderia Ferrari fully supports the decision taken by the FIA and Formula 1 in conjunction with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation to cancel the Australian Grand Prix (13 to 15 March) at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit.

 

The safety of all team members is our number one priority, especially as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly.

 

We feel very sorry for the fans who were due to come to Albert Park and support the Formula 1 race with all their usual enthusiasm, as well as all those who would have been watching from around the world. Credit to Scuderia Ferrari for the Press Release. https://www.ferrari.com/en-AU/formula1/articles/australian-grand-prix-2020-press-release

There were reports going around that Formula 1 staff were told to treat the day as you would normally on a Grand Prix weekend. Marshals were in place around the Albert Park Street Circuit and the V10-powered Minardi 2-Seater was running it’s guest laps. However, no information from authorities, race organisers and teams revealed nothing.

Fans arrived at the track learning they will be not allowed to enter while only five teams turned up to the paddock. More confusion was spread in the morning when Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews MP said that if the race were to go on, it would be behind closed doors.

World Champion Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen had already left to return home, with Ferrari and Mercedes advised not to head to the circuit.

With no further statements being released, fans were flocking to Albert Park in droves ready for the second day of action but were denied entry by event staff with little or no information known to them leaving them furious.

No explanation was made for why the decision took so long to be made to cancel the Grand Prix, or why little information was released. The longevity on reaching an agreement between state authorities, race organisers, the FIA and F1 on who was responsible for the event to be called off may have been the cause.

Yesterday, Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Hamilton heaped pressure on the Australian Grand Prix’s fate in the pre-race press conference questioning why they were putting the potential of 300,000+ fans lives in danger of contracting the virus.

“I felt OK travelling out here. Naturally, being on a flight with God knows how many people and then stopping in an airport full of so many people, I didn’t really think too hard on it. I was just trying to make sure I was taking all the precautions I could in terms of not touching things and always using hand sanitizer. I am really very, very surprised that we’re here. I think motorsport is… I think it’s great that we have races but for me it’s shocking that we’re all sitting in this room. So many fans are already here today and it seems like the rest of the world is reacting probably a little bit late but already this morning you’re seeing, with Trump shutting down the borders from Europe to the States, you’re seeing the NBA’s been suspended, yet Formula 1 continues to go on. I don’t know: I saw Jackie Stewart this morning, you know, looking fit and healthy and well in the lift. Some people, as I walked into the paddock, some elderly individuals. It’s a concern, I think, for the people here. It’s quite a big circus that’s come here. So it’s definitely concerning for me. So, no, is your answer.” Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport. Credit to the FIA for the transcript quote. https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2020-australian-grand-prix-thursday-press-conference-transcript

McLaren confirmed today another 14 of it’s staff were placed in quarantine at the team’s hotel in accordance with local health authorities as these individuals were in close contact with the team member who tested positive for coronavirus. These individuals are being supported by senior team personnel and will stay behind with them during the two week period.

Before test results had returned it’s first positive case, Victorian Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen, stated that if there were any that received a positive diagnosis, that they would be immediately placed in quarantine, which would have a massive impact on the way a team functions during the race weekend.

Home favourite and Renault F1 Team driver Daniel Ricciardo expressed his devastation on the cancellation of competing at his home Grand Prix this weekend:

I’m devastated I can’t compete at my home GP here in Melbourne & get the season started. Ultimately though the right decision has been made & I think everyone can understand this is something we’ve never seen before. Sorry to all fans who came out for the support. Much love 💙

— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) March 13, 2020

The Australian Grand Prix being called off could have major consequences on the upcoming races. Next weekend’s Bahrain GP, which was set to be staged with no fans in attendance, now looks unlikely to be held, particularly with F1 personnel placed in quarantine.

The inaugural Vietnam race, scheduled for April 5, is also under threat to be cancelled, with the season potentially starting from June 5-7 on the streets of Baku in Azerbaijan, but that is also subject to change.

#F1 Newsbites – First of 2020. @F1