FORMULA 1 GRIPPED BY CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

01 When the World Health Organisation officially upgraded the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak to pandemic status on the eve of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, it was almost inevitable the event would have to be cancelled. It was the most responsible course of action. And yet the decision was delayed amid rancorous scenes behind closed doors – arguments which continued even after Mclaren announced its withdrawal on the Thursday of grand prix week.

Three teams – Red Bull, Scuderia Alphatauri and Racing Point – declared themselves determined to carry on while neither the commercial rights holder nor the FIA was prepared to step in and cancel the race, lest they be liable for financial damages. The Australian Grand Prix Corporation, the race promoter, is believed to pay in the region of AUS$50M annually to host the event, and most of that sum comes from the Victorian state government.

Doubts had been cast over the wisdom of proceeding a week before the race, as Italy – the worst-affected of the European countries – began to impose travel restrictions that could have prevented Ferrari’s presence had they been brought in 24-48 hours earlier. But it was the double-whammy of the WHO’S declaration, followed by news that a Mclaren team member had tested positive for COVID-19, which forced the stakeholders into crisis talks.

The FIA’S contractual position was that without sanction

from the local health authorities, or unless the commercial rights holder was unable to put 12 or more cars on the grid (thereby breaching Article 5.7 of the Sporting Reguations), it could not cancel the event. If it did, it would be liable for damages. For obvious commercial reasons, neither Formula 1 nor the race promoter wanted to cancel.

Solidarity among the teams would have provided the FIA with the numbers it needed, but this was not initially forthcoming. Ferrari indicated it would join Mclaren in withdrawing immediately, and Renault and Alfa Romeo said they were ready to follow (indeed, word circulated that Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen were packing their bags as the meeting took place). But Mercedes, Red Bull, Scuderia Alphatauri and Racing Point favoured F1 managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn’s proposal of running on Friday, potentially behind closed doors, then reviewing the situation on Friday evening.

Haas and Williams initially sat on the fence, saying they would accept the majority view.

Since Brawn held the casting vote, that meant the event was set to continue – until Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff received a phone call from Daimler CEO

Ola Källenius. After concluding the call, Wolff informed Brawn that Mercedes would now withdraw as well.

While the grand prix itself was untenable at this point, the three teams still determined to race continued their preparations on Friday morning. Track activities began as normal with laps by the two-seater F1 Experiences car, but the gates remained closed to spectators who had been informed that some sort of event would be going ahead, whether F1 cars ran or not. The farce was concluded by the government announcing the Australian Grand Prix could not take place, enabling the FIA and F1 to officially cancel it and leave the matter in the hands of the insurers.

FOR OBVIOUS COMMERCIAL REASONS, NEITHER FORMULA 1 NOR THE RACE PROMOTER WANTED TO CANCEL