Australian GP in serious doubt after coronavirus strikes Mclaren team
● Hamilton lashes out over plan to proceed; now race may be postponed
The Australian Grand Prix has been thrown into major doubt following Mclaren’s withdrawal from the event after a team member tested positive for coronavirus.
The British individual, a mechanic for the country’s most successful Formula One team, was informed of the result yesterday.
The positive result came only hours after Lewis Hamilton claimed the sport’s bosses were putting lives at danger by staging the opening race despite the global outbreak of a disease which has claimed more than 4,600 lives.
It is now conceivable the race could be postponed, with 300,000 fans expected at Melbourne’s Albert Park over the next few days.
A statement from Formula One read: “Formula One and the FIA have been coordinating with all the relevant authorities on the next steps.
“Our priority is the safety of the fans, the teams and all personnel at the race.”
Mclaren had planned to pull out of the sport’s seasonopening race if the crew member, who went down with the illness on Wednesday, tested positive. A little more than an hour after Mclaren received the diagnosis, they announced they would play no part in this weekend’s race.
The individual remains in quarantine at the team’s hotel in downtown Melbourne. It is understood that at least a dozen other of the team’s staff are in self-isolation after coming into contact with the individual who arrived from England earlier this week. They are showing no symptoms related to the disease.
A statement by the British team read: “Mclaren Racing has confirmed this evening in Melbourne that it has withdrawn from the 2020 Formula One Australian Grand Prix, following the positive test of a team member for the coronavirus. The team member was tested and self-isolated as soon as they started to show symptoms and will be treated by local healthcare authorities.”
American outfit Haas, meanwhile, have confirmed that all four team members who were tested for the virus over the past two days have come back with negative results.
In all, it is believed nine people have been tested for the illness, none of whom is from Hamilton’s Mercedes team.
Earlier, six-time world champion Hamilton attacked F1’s decision to stage the Melbourne race.
“I am really very, very surprised that we are here,” he said. “For me, it is shocking that we are sitting in this room.
“It seems like the rest of the world is reacting, probably a little bit late, but we have seen [US President] Donald Trump shut down the borders from Europe to the US, the NBA has been suspended, yet Formula One continues to go on.”
“I was walking through the paddock and saw everything going ahead as normal as if it is a normal day, but I really don’t think it is. I saw Sir Jackie Stewart in the lift this morning looking fit, healthy and well, and other elderly people, too. I hope the fans stay safe and we don’t see any fatalities or anything come out in the future.”
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, a director for the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, did not shut down suggestions that the grid might refuse to race if it is confirmed a team member was infected.
“If it was to go that far, for sure you pull the handbrake [on the race],” said Vettel, 32.
“We are a group of 20 guys and we got together over the years in various circumstances and I think we share common opinion on big decisions and that would be a very, very big decision.
“We would be mature enough to look after ourselves and pull the handbrake in that case.”