As the build-up towards this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix begins, concerns over the Coronavirus are being realised.
Late on Tuesday, a 70-year-old man, who had recently visited a hotel near Albert Park, the venue for the Formula 1 race, tested positive for the Covid-19 infection.
Though that had no direct link to the GP itself, on Wednesday, one McLaren and two Haas team members were put into self-isolation having shown symptoms of the virus.
Tests have subsequently been taken but no results have been announced publicly yet.
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Should the results also be positive, however, it could cast this weekend’s race into major doubt and potentially have a knock-on effect for the Bahrain GP next weekend if other personnel are found to have the illness.
Some locals are also protesting against the race with almost 10,000 people signing an online petition and images emerging from Sydney of the words ‘STOP F1’ written in white smoke in the skies over the city.
Right now, however, it remains business as usual in Melbourne, though further measures have been put in place to try and limit any spread including the cancellation of autograph sessions between fans and the drivers.
Elsewhere, expectations are growing that the inaugural Vietnam GP, set for April 5, will also be postponed after local authorities extended their suspension on visa exemptions to more European countries this week.
This comes as the Coronavirus continues to wreak havoc with motorsport schedules elsewhere after MotoGP rescheduled the United States GP in Austin until November and Formula E has called off their first race in Jakarta, Indonesia.