The fate of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix is looking more uncertain after two more Haas team members went into self-isolation over Coronavirus fears.
That brings the total number tested for Covid-19 just from the American team alone to four with the additional McLaren squad member who showed symptoms on Wednesday.
Test results are expected at some point on Thursday for the initial three Formula 1 personnel who could be carrying the illness and Victoria state Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has now warned positive outcomes could have knock-on effects for the rest of the weekend.
“I think for these three crew members, if they 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,” he told local radio station 3AW.
“If that effectively shuts down the race, then so be it, we’ll make that call.”
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As for Haas team boss Guenther Steiner, he acknowledges the situation remains very fluid.
“I think this situation is developing so quickly on an hourly basis that no one can have total control over it,” he was quoted by Motorsport Week.
“I think we are all grown-ups and we need to take care of ourselves and that is what we are doing. We try in our little world to manage it as best we can, and nobody needs to tell us what to do.
“Everybody in their own world needs to do what is best for themselves and the community. To now say FIA and FOM didn’t give enough leadership, I wouldn’t say that because they didn’t know what was coming.
“I am here since Sunday and on Sunday here there was not a problem with the virus and it just escalated. I just read that the US has no flights to Europe for 30 days, so the thing is just moving on an hourly basis and we just need to manage it ourselves as best we can for the community.”
F1 has taken further measures to try and limit any possible spread of the virus by cancelling TV media gatherings at the back of the garages, while print media sessions continue but with more distance between journalists and drivers.
At this point also, there are no plans to alter the level of fans allowed inside Albert Park, despite the decision to cancel autograph sessions on the ‘Melbourne Walk’
“I don’t think crowds are the issue here,” Sutton added.
“I think the segregation of [F1] crews from each other and also the crowd is really important but crowd gathering is like any other mass gathering.
“Three hundred thousand come every day to the city to work, that’s a mass gathering. Public transport is a mass gathering every day.”