It is now three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In a new book, the people who covered the unfolding drama recall key moments in the story. Among the 37 contributors is The Australian Financial Review’s Melbourne bureau chief, Patrick Durkin. In this extract, he explains how his pandemic began with a car race.

It was two days before the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix was supposed to kick off in Melbourne in March 2020, and I was at the racetrack as part of the coverage for The Australian Financial Review. I had the incredible opportunity to experience two laps in a Minardi two-seater F1 car, speeding around the track at over 280km/h.