Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

The FIA, organizers of the Formula 1 World Championship, and the organizers of the Australian Grand Prix have agreed to cancel the race that was scheduled to open the 2020 season at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne this weekend.

Shortly before the start of the first free practice sessions and hours after McLaren announced their withdrawal from the race due to a positive COVID-19 case within their team, the official announcement of the cancellation of the opening race of the championship was made.

"Following the confirmation that a member of the McLaren Racing team has tested positive for COVID-19 and the team's decision to withdraw from the Australian Grand Prix, the FIA and Formula 1 convened a meeting of the other nine team principals on Thursday evening," they stated in a joint statement.

"Those discussions concluded with the majority view of the teams that the race should not go ahead. FIA and Formula 1, with the full support of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC), have therefore taken the decision that all Formula 1 activity for the Australian Grand Prix is cancelled," they added.

"We appreciate this is very disappointing news for the thousands of fans due to attend the race and all ticket holders will receive a full refund and a further announcement will be communicated in due course," they clarified.

All parties "took into consideration the huge efforts of the AGPC, Motorsport Australia, staff, and volunteers to stage the opening round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in Melbourne for the 2020 season, but 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."

Formula 1 and the FIA, with the full support of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC), have taken the decision that all Formula 1 activity for the Australian Grand Prix is cancelled

March 12, 2020

McLaren Withdraws from Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix

This Thursday, the McLaren team, with Spanish driver Carlos Sainz and British driver Lando Norris, announced their withdrawal from the race due to a positive COVID-19 test from a team member.

"The decision has been taken in the interest of protecting not only the employees and partners of McLaren, but all teams and fans," the British team argued in a statement posted on their official Twitter profile, in which they indicated that the CEO of the team, Zak Brown, and the team principal, Andreas Seidl, have already communicated it to the Formula One organization and the International Automobile Federation.

The McLaren team member who tested positive was isolated "as soon as they began to show symptoms" and will be treated by the Australian health authorities, according to the team's statement.

"The team was prepared for this possibility and has continued to support their employee, who will now begin a period of quarantine," McLaren added in their statement.

In addition to the McLaren team member, four people from the Haas team had undergone coronavirus testing due to having symptoms, although the American team confirmed this Thursday that all four tests came back negative. EFE

McLaren Racing withdraws from the 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

March 12, 2020