Coronavirus: McLaren withdraws from Australian GP

McLaren F1 will not compete in the Australian GP this weekend in Melbourne. The Woking stable has confirmed that a member of its staff has contracted coronavirus. Following suspicions about several people in the paddock, tests were carried out on members of Haas F1 Team and McLaren. Members of the American team have reportedly tested negative.

The 4 members of the Haas team also tested are negative for COVID-19. #F1 #AusGP

— Julien Billiotte (@jbilliotte) March 12, 2020

The British structure specifies that the infected person was immediately placed in isolation at the first symptoms and that he will now be treated by the local authorities. “ decision (to withdraw) was taken out of a duty of vigilance, not only towards the members and partners of the McLaren F1 team, but also for our competitors, Formula 1 fans and shareholders of the sport “, said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing.

McLaren Racing withdraws from the 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/BZvHVKQoev

- McLaren (@ McLarenF1) March 12, 2020

This announcement compromises the holding of the Australian Grand Prix which must take place without taking any risks for the paddock and the public.