//www.autosport.com/f1/news/148644/three-teams-were-willing-to-practice-in-australia Just three Formula 1 teams remained willing to carry on with practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix had the event not been officially cancelled on Friday morning. The running of the 2020 F1 season-opener in Melbourne was thrown into doubt on Thursday when the McLaren team announced its withdrawal from the weekend when one of its crew tested positive for the coronavirus. Meetings between F1 and the teams took place overnight, with it thought cancellation was a certainty. However, the situation failed to get a resolution first thing on Friday, with conflicting reports and statements from the paddock and race organisers throwing the event into chaos just hours before first practice was due to get underway. Fans were subsequently banned from the circuit having queued up without word about them getting in beforehand, with the race set to be staged behind closed doors if it was to go ahead. Red Bull Racing, its sister squad AlphaTauri and Racing Point were in one camp regarding take part in the Friday session, with the remaining teams in the other. One senior team member told Autosport: "We're racers, and we're here to race." Image Unavailable, Please Login Their positions became clear at meeting with Ross Brawn at a hotel in downtown Melbourne late on Thursday night, following McLaren's announcement. The majority of the teams wanted to cancel the race, but Red Bull boss Christian Horner, AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost and Racing Point's Otmar Szafnauer said their teams would take part on Friday unless the authorities say that the race couldn't run on health grounds. That triggered a complex overnight legal discussion between F1, the FIA and the Victorian government on what to do next and who would be responsible for the decision, with all the obvious financial implications. Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault - three teams with manufacturer backing - were vehemently opposed to going ahead, with the world champions writing a letter explaining their decision. On Friday morning only skeleton staffs from each arrived at the track. The pitlane garages of Ferrari and Mercedes remained closed as of 10am, an hour before FP1, which is a breach of the regulations. Renault was open but the cars were still in parc ferme condition, with covers on the cars. The remaining six teams had their garages open but only three were making serious preparation to run had the track opened on time. UPDATE - A previous version of this article stated that the three teams were willing to race in the Australian Grand Prix. This has been ammended.
Chase Carey and FIA leaving the circuit? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Nah, I think that the thought was to race these vehicles instead of the F1 cars. Being armored, I guess they were figured to be virus-proof!
Timeline of events before cancel - https://www.planetf1.com/news/australian-grand-prix-cancelled/ They should have raced w no fans. They were there and set up. Cancelling was too late. Oh well.......we wait. I feel for the fans like the 2 in the picture from the link. Yes I know this virus can be bad! Venting a bit I am......
Looks like they had to wait for the healh authority /Government to give their decision/advice. By that time Kimi was enjoying a slap up champagne brekkie at FL380 in First, with the fans still queuing up outside like sheep ..sort of sums up F1.
Vettel and Kimi lol real hero’s to fans who waited for nothing. They left at 6am. Did not wait for cancellation. Classy lol.
I have zero faith in any arrangement for this season. Kimi and Vettel disappear and organizations unable to simply state what is going on to patient fans. Cowardly.
The IndyCar Grand Prix of Long Beach will not run as scheduled, due to the City of Long Beach prohibiting all large-scale events through April 30, due to the coronavirus.
Yes I struggle to see how we're going to have more than a handful of races this year. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
Vettel and Kimi booked home, F1 prematurely (by some 7 hours) announced that the race was cancelled on their website, but it was up momentarily. Instead of the virtue signalling asshat Loowis, who was crying on instagram...Vettel and Kimi actually went ahead with their initial thoughts that F1 shouldn't race by simply going home. At least they stick by their words.
Yes worse. The controllers are not ready for the conditions of the locations to race. Bahrain at least offered a race. The rest are in doubt. They could have raced this weekend no fans. They chose not to and here we are lol.
They planned on leaving as soon as the test result was in. They could have waited and said hi to the fans but they chose to leave.
.....and risk more corona? Vettel isn't even on social media, he's there only to drive. Kimi has made his intentions well known...he only cares about driving and none of the rest. People love him for it. And honestly, if I was there? I really couldn't give a toss about a driver waving hello to me and reading of his PR leaflet saying how sorry he is for the race not going through. I want to see cars race.
have to say with everyone there and already tested....I can't see how F1 couldn't have gone ahead at this point. Poorly managed by F1 and Jean Todt should be removed immediately. No one knowing what went on and the shortarse tweeted about having had a nice lunch
I don’t think they wanted to be there. No fans was possible but the situation is what it is. You may not care but respect to fans matter. Oh but now we are just potential virus passers lol. Kimi and Vettel are what they are. Old news.
Thing is who in their right mind is going to book flights and tickets to races in future? Ok locals might support to some extent but even so. Might go to Vietnam /Singapore later this year but would need it to be 100 pct on, plus Corona dead in the water ..not sure either will happen.
'Jes' curious, what would be the point of half points? The results would be the same. Besides, there would be no reason to shorten the races....(the real reason for half points)
Todt needs to go his poor handling of the engine investigation and now this, he is just picking up the pay cheques.
I don't think anyone expects any different with Kimi especially. Vettel is quite a distant person also. They don't throw it the big ''doing it for the fans'' ******** everywhere, At all. They (especially Kimi) build their fan base precisely by being ''real''. And what are the drivers really meant to do? No one allowed to come in.
Very good point. Who in their right mind books (fly away) tickets well in advance from now on? Especially with F1 attitude ''the show will go on'' attitude...right up till the moment people where standing at the gates with (very expensive) tickets....to be told ''persona non grata'' and go away.
