The Australian Grand Prix has officially been cancelled in response to the coronavirus outbreak, which has seen one team member already tested positive.
A statement was issued at 10:15am (AEDT) by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.
At 9am today the Australian Grand Prix Corporation was advised by Formula One of their intention to cancel all Formula One activity at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix.
In light of this decision and updated advice this morning from the Chief Health Officer of the Victorian Government’s Department of Human and Health Services, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation confirms the Formula One Australian Grand Prix is cancelled immediately.
Last night a member of the McLaren Racing team tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. A further seven individuals returned negative results, confirming that they do not have the COVID-19 virus.
Additionally, a ninth individual has been assessed and tested for the COVID-19 virus, with the results of this test pending. This individual is not associated with any Formula One team, the FIA or associated suppliers.
Our first priority is the safety of everyone including attendees, our personnel, all event partners and members of the local community.
Further information regarding refunds for ticket holders will be communicated in due course.
This response comes after the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews addressed the media earlier in the morning, stating that the race would be staged behind closed doors, “if at all”. Given the delay in a response from Formula One’s governing body in the FIA and the sport’s commercial management.
Reigning world champions in Mercedes also issued a statement informing that they had sent a letter to the FIA ‘requesting the cancellation of the grand prix.’ Citing that the wellbeing of ‘team members and of the wider F1 community are out absolute priority.’
Lewis Hamilton was vocal during the driver’s press conference yesterday, expressing his shock that the race was taking place given the global situation with the coronavirus and opining that the race would have been cancelled earlier were it not for the considerable finances at play.
The second race of the season is set to take place in Bahrain next weekend, although it has already been confirmed it will take place behind closed doors. Even so, the future of that race is uncertain as teams scramble at Albert Park to pack down and depart.
Omnitrader
Roar Rookie
There is gatherings of more than 500 on most train stations in the mornings, shopping centres on weekends, schools etc.... even scomo didn’t quarantine himself after being in contact with dutton
Charlie
Guest
I tell you what... just put some pretend cars down made of cardboard, and let one or two lead by three or four laps. Either that, or I can paint a wall so the fans can watch paint dry, which is arguably more exciting, and more dramatic. :)
Nick
Roar Guru
Yes. Although the Feds didn't relax the bans...they just mystifyingly elected not to update them.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Can we also proportion that also to the Federal Government as well for relaxing the travel bans in the build up to the Grand Prix? No point doing a behind closed doors race, as planned in Bahrain, if the source of the first positive case in F1 came from a team member in the first place.
Nick
Roar Guru
The report dated at the end of February using research that was compiled in mid-Feb?
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
boo boo to the Grand prix .
matth
Roar Guru
I think the basic difference between F1 (and the Olympics for that matter) and the NRL, is that in the first two cases, people come from all over the world and then go back there, with a risk of an exponential widening of infection. NRL crowds would be sort of static. I assume that's what health authorities are thinking.
astro
Roar Rookie
That WHO report is dated 28th Feb when I looked it up, and LOT has happened since then, so there's a chance that information is outdated. More importantly, I think we need to be very careful saying stuff like "its just the flu" because the truth is you have no idea and neither do I. The CDC website (as of today) says "The complete clinical picture with regard to COVID-19 is not fully known", so I've no clue why people in the comments section on a sports website feel informed enough to decide exactly what CV is and isn't. Can we not just leave this to the experts who are quite clearly saying 'lets avoid big crowds of people for a while, as a means of slowing CV transmission'...This seems very reasonable, doesn't it?
Nick
Roar Guru
"Just the flu". It has a lethality rate 10 times higher than the ordinary flu, but it's "just the flu". It's knocking off 15% of the elderly that get it, but it's "just the flu". I wonder if you'll say that if you grandparents (assuming they are still alive) get it?
mbp
Guest
you can find the WHO report on the evolution of the virus by searching: Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
mbp
Guest
im in health care. agreed...! the recently released 40 page WHO document with statistics on the virus in china shows its just the flu. the extreme measures that have been put in place will cause massive socioeconimic problems that will dwarf the actual effects of this virus.
Nick
Roar Guru
Bahrain is on shaky ground too to be honest. It's next weekend, and McLaren have half their team stuck in Melbourne self-isolating. Like I said in another post. Right decision, one week too late. This was obviously going to happen...and no, I'm not saying this with the benefit of hindsight. I've been pushing this message for a while now. Daniel Andrews is going to deservedly take a huge hit for this. His judgement and priorities are dangerously skewed.
Nick
Roar Guru
This will kill more. It's also a flu that even when you recover, you are more than likely to have long term lung damage. No thanks.
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
Or the rich brats could just race with no fans.
Cee
Guest
So in 2 days coronavirus have become the NBA champs and now lead the F1 championship as teams fail to even make the track for Practice 1. Impressive how the NRL got 1 game off with a crowd.
Omnitrader
Roar Rookie
It’s just a flu. the common cold killed 650,000 last year.
Republican
Guest
......the Olympics MUST be cancelled as well.
Republican
Guest
Good decision. Now we should be closing our borders to international travel.