The Australian Grand Prix joins the ever-growing list of sporting events that have been cancelled due to the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The news was largely expected after a McLaren employee tested positive for the virus on Thursday.
During a meeting between the F1 team bosses, only three teams were willing to race. Those teams were Red Bull, AlphaTauri and Racing Point.
F1’s governing body has been heavily criticized by fans and others within the sport for attempting to go ahead with the Australian Grand Prix despite the threat from the virus that has infected more than 130,000 people around the globe and killed nearly 5,000.
Other sporting major sporting events have opted to cancel events, postpone seasons or run events spectator-free.
“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,” F1 published in a statement. “However [they] 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.”
With the Australian Grand Prix now off the calendar, F1’s new season-opener will be next weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit for the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. That event will be a “closed door” event, without any spectators.
The upcoming Vietnamese Grand Prix, set to take place on April 5, is also on thin ice. If that event is cancelled, fans will have to wait until May 3 for the returning Dutch Grand Prix to see the cars.
Reports suggest that F1’s governing body is considering a second race in Bahrain to replace the missing Vietnamese Grand Prix. However, neither the cancellation of the race in Vietnam nor the creation of a second Bahrain Grand Prix has been officially confirmed.
