In the last 24 hours, a number of F1 personnel from various teams have been taken ill. Worryingly, if one member tests positive, the 2020 Australian Grand Prix could be cancelled immediately.
On Thursday, five more members underwent testing and placed in quarantine. This sparked fears that they may have contracted the virus. Three others had taken the same precaution on Wednesday.
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Of the new victims, four of them hail from Haas and one from McLaren. All 5 team personnel are now awaiting test results ahead of the Friday practice sessions. According to Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, the latest quarantined staff informed him that they were feeling unwell.
Speaking to the media, Steiner said, “It’s four in total, one engineer and I think three mechanics. We should collect the results in the afternoon.”<
“At the moment we can cope … the most impact for me is that I hope that they are well and this afternoon that they just have a cold and can come back and work tomorrow.”
What does this mean for the 2020 Australian Grand Prix?
What Liberty Media and Formula One fears is that there is a possibility of a cancellation. Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton warned that if Albert Park reported any positive tests, it could stop the race from going ahead.
Speaking to Melbourne radio station 3AW, Sutton said, “If (the tests) turn up positive, we need to consider what it means for their close contacts and if they have a number of close contacts across a number of crews, then those individuals need to be quarantined.”
On the other hand, Australian Grand Prix chief Andrew Westacott insists that they will not follow Bahrain’s example. In other words, they will not impose a spectator ban at Albert Park.
Furthermore, the coronavirus concerns did little to dampen spirits as fans. Apparently, they turned up to watch other series duke it out on track.
According to Sutton, banning spectators from the Melbourne race would not serve any purpose. He believes that the crowds will not shoulder the blame. He concluded, “Three hundred thousand come every day to the city to work – that’s a mass gathering. Public transport is a mass gathering every day.”
