F1 2020: Lewis Hamilton slams ‘shocking’ handling of coronavirus at Australian GP
Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton didn’t mince his words when quizzed on why the Australian Formula One Grand Prix is still going ahead while the rest of the world reacts to the global coronavirus crisis.
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World champion Lewis Hamilton has questioned why the Australian Formula One Grand Prix is still going ahead while the rest of the world reacts to the global coronavirus crisis.
The six-time Formula One world champion said it was “shocking” drivers were addressing the media about the season-opening race at Albert Park while the virus spread around the globe.
The Australian Grand Prix has already suffered a coronavirus scare after at least six personnel from the F1 paddock were tested for the virus and put into isolation on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials were still awaiting test results.
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Hamilton said he was concerned the welfare of fans attending the event and was not comfortable with the way the situation was being handled by the sport’s officials.
“I am really very, very surprised that we are here,” Hamilton said.
“I think motorsport is great that we have races, but I think that it is shocking that we are sitting in this room (media centre) and so many fans here already today and it seems like the rest of the world is reacting, probably a little bit late.
“But already this morning we’ve seen with Trump shutting down the borders from Europe to the States, we’ve seen the NBA has been suspended, yet Formula One continues to go on.
“I saw Jackie Stewart this morning looking fit and healthy and well in the lift and some people as I walked into the paddock, some elderly people, it’s a concern for the people here.
“It’s quite a big circus that has come here. It’s definitely concerning to me, so it’s no to your answer.”
The coronavirus has already forced the postponement of April’s Chinese Grand Prix and there are fears the Vietnamese Grand Prix could also be scratched.
Asked why he thought the Melbourne race was still going ahead, Hamilton was blunt:
“Cash is king,” Hamilton said.
“I honestly don’t know. I don’t feel like I should shy away from my opinion. The fact is we are here and I just urge everyone to be as careful as you can be touching door and services and I hope everyone has got hand sanitiser.
“Really for the fans, I really hope they take precautions. Walking through and seeing everything going ahead as normal like it’s a normal day, but I really don’t think it really is.
“I really hope we get through this weekend and we don’t see any fatalities or things come on in the future.”
Asked if he thought the race should be called off if any of the tests came back positive, Hamilton said that was a decision for the officials.
“It’s not for me to make that decision,” Hamilton said.
“But I heard that results are not going to come back for five days or something coincidentally.”
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel said Hamilton was right to question why the race was still going ahead when other major sporting events around the world were being cancelled.
“You realise that a lot of sport competitions, big events get postponed and cancelled and like Lewis said, it’s fair to ask the question of why you are here,” Vettel said.
“Obviously we have to trust the FIA and F1 to take a precaution as much as they can, but I think the answer that nobody can give you at the moment it how much you can control what’s going on.”
Australian Daniel Ricciardo said he had to put his trust in the sport’s officials, but was ready to race at his home Grand Prix.
“Honestly from my side, I have to put my trust in the FIA,” Ricciardo said.
“At the end of the day we may all have opinions but at the end of the day I’m here to compete at race cars, I’m not much more than that in this situation and there are people who are spending more time investing in it than I am and I am just following guidelines.
“I came here knowing we were going to compete, but … I just got my head down and focused on the race and I have been training and preparing and getting a bunch of emails with guidelines.”
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS FORCES MOTO GP CHANGE - Ian Royall
The 2020 MotoGP calendar has been changed again with the next three scheduled races – Thailand, America and Argentina – all now moved to later in the year because of coronavirus travel fears.
The latest review by Dorna has moved the Argentina race, scheduled for April 19, to November 22. The Valencia GP, which was to be held on that date, has moved to November 29.
The first race of 19 will now be the Spanish GP at Jerez on May 3 but could be held, like many other sporting events, behind closed doors.
The changes mean a punishing travel and competition schedule from October to November, through Asia, Australia, South and North America, and then Europe.
The Australian GP at Phillip Island race is unchanged on October 25.
The Moto2 and Moto3 teams began their competitive year last weekend in Qatar because they were already at the Losail circuit for testing, while the MotoGP teams were kept away because of the COVID 19 travel scare.
MotoGP riders will have to deal with a sixth-month off-season – they last raced in Valencia on November 19.
NEW 2020 CALENDAR
3 May Spain Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto
17 May France Le Mans
31 May Italy Autodromo del Mugello
7 June Catalunya Barcelona
21 June Germany Sachsenring
28 June Netherlands TT Circuit Assen
12 July Finland KymiRing (TBC)
9 August Czech Republic Automotodrom Brno
16 August Austria Red Bull Ring-Spielberg
30 August Great Britain Silverstone
13 September San Marino World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
27 September Aragón MotorLand Aragón
4 October Thailand Chang International Circuit
18 October Japan Twin Ring Motegi
25 October Australia Phillip Island
1 November Malaysia Sepang International Circuit
15 November USA Circuit of the Americas
22 November ArgentinaTermas de Rio Hondo
29 November Valencia