COVID-19 could affect more races this year.

[FrukostScones]

Bahrain is most definitely also off, innit?

I'd say definitely off.

[izzy]

Bahrain is most definitely also off, innit?

I'd say definitely off.

you mean probably definitely

they're meeting as we type... then presumably FIA will tell us about Bahrain as well as Oz. Personally with no crowd and teams having mingled already i think Bahrain could possibly be on

[AMG.Tzan]

As things stand the situation is only going to get worse for some months! More and more people are going to get infected and more and more will die as there are so many out there that don't even know they are infected!

So i don't expect any of the races to go ahead since Australia which isn't in such a bad situation like EU and China! Even USA has way more infections than Australia and even Netherlands which is way smaller than Australia has more infections! So the season won't get under way until the Corona virus thing is over...maybe after the summer when the high temperatures will help calm the situation a bit!

It's a pity as Australia, Bahrain and even Vietnam (only 39 infections...if true though) was a chance to get the season under way on schedule because all these countries have much less infections for the time being...unlike EU countries! Even IMSA and Indycar have cancelled races! So the 2020 season may start mid or end of summer after all...

on the other hand, the teams have to go somewhere now, unless they just set up in Melbourne for a few weeks. Where can they go? They have to cluster together in aeroplanes with recirculating air, and fly somewhere. Why not Bahrain? It's safer than back to Europe and them all dispersing to their families with whatever they've caught.

Go back to their homes and quarantine themselves probably.

I agree that Bahrain is a safer place than any EU country right now...Australia is also safer! That's why i think it is wrong not to go ahead with the race both here and Bahrain! Vietnam although closer to China has even less infections than Australia (if their reports are true of course)!

European races won't go ahead in my opinion! Difficult to see how the situation will get any better than it is right now...

[Ringleheim]

As things stand the situation is only going to get worse for some months! More and more people are going to get infected and more and more will die as there are so many out there that don't even know they are infected!

So i don't expect any of the races to go ahead since Australia which isn't in such a bad situation like EU and China! Even USA has way more infections than Australia and even Netherlands which is way smaller than Australia has more infections! So the season won't get under way until the Corona virus thing is over...maybe after the summer when the high temperatures will help calm the situation a bit!

It's a pity as Australia, Bahrain and even Vietnam (only 39 infections...if true though) was a chance to get the season under way on schedule because all these countries have much less infections for the time being...unlike EU countries! Even IMSA and Indycar have cancelled races! So the 2020 season may start mid or end of summer after all...

on the other hand, the teams have to go somewhere now, unless they just set up in Melbourne for a few weeks. Where can they go? They have to cluster together in aeroplanes with recirculating air, and fly somewhere. Why not Bahrain? It's safer than back to Europe and them all dispersing to their families with whatever they've caught.

Go back to their homes and quarantine themselves probably.

I agree that Bahrain is a safer place than any EU country right now...Australia is also safer! That's why i think it is wrong not to go ahead with the race both here and Bahrain! Vietnam although closer to China has even less infections than Australia (if their reports are true of course)!

European races won't go ahead in my opinion! Difficult to see how the situation will get any better than it is right now...

Unfortunately, the situation will get steadily worse for the next 3-6 months, and there isn't much that can be done about it.

[izzy]

Go back to their homes and quarantine themselves probably.

I agree that Bahrain is a safer place than any EU country right now...Australia is also safer! That's why i think it is wrong not to go ahead with the race both here and Bahrain! Vietnam although closer to China has even less infections than Australia (if their reports are true of course)!

European races won't go ahead in my opinion! Difficult to see how the situation will get any better than it is right now...

yes, the one thing i feel is pretty definite is not having a crowd, that would really be voting for Christmas

[NL_Fer]

So what will be the first race this year? Canada?

[FrukostScones]

So what will be the first race this year? Canada?

Brazil. 8x times.

[adrianjordan]

! But it seems that there's nothing we can do against a pandemic! This must be the first time our generation goes through a pandemic...when was the last time it happened?? Pre war maybe??

Assuming you don't include HIV/AIDS, there is an argument that we regularly have low level pandemics, such as the common cold and flu.

What was the definition again, developing simultaneously in 3 or more countries or something like that?

This is a new experience for many, something they have only previously seen in films.

I personally believe the media has a responsibility to help promote calm, instead they seem hell bent on spreading hysteria by only focusing on the negative stories.

I read an interesting opinion piece today in a health journal that suggested that this virus may actually have been in far wider circulation for several months and many people may already have been exposed and recovered and hence have developed an immunity.

Some suggestion that if scientists can identify those people then they may take a massive step towards a vaccine.

Also some successful trials going on using antivirals that are already licensed for treating other conditions.

Finally an article in the BMJ spoke of early signs that people on a certain type of drugs, ACE Inhibitors, may be more at risk, which could help understand the way the virus works and thus help develop a treatment.

[mmred]

Hope next year Will be Better Australia bye bye

[izzy]

SO. Bahrain???? They had the sense to stop fans travelling. Teams are packing up, presumably the freight is booked to go there

[RZS10]

One McLaren member was positive, he surely had contact to a large number of other people in the team, given the 14 day incubation period half the McLaren team might have it and technically all should be in isolation ... so unless they fly in new people they might not be able to participate ...

I don't see how they could pull this --- in Melbourne and then race a week later pretending like nothing ever happened

[AMG.Tzan]

Nice...every single motorsport event around the world has been cancelled!

That's overreaction in my opinion! A race behind closed doors should have been the way to go...

With the measures taken by many countries around the world i predict a very difficult time for the economy...already DOW was down 10% today! That's not a good sign for the economy...hopefully this whole corona virus thing doesn't get followed up by an economic crisis aka 2008 as it will be a total disaster!

[RZS10]

Imagine tanking the world economy and all major events (sporting or other) because of something that in retrospect might possibly be nothing but another flu

[nzjrs]

Time will tell if course, but it's worth remebering that chronic mismanagement and a failure to adequately assess the predictable sequence of events got us this mess today.

The virus is what the virus is, but FIA had the opportunity to not mess things up this badly. They played with fire and they got burned.

[JordanMugen]

Unfortunately, the situation will get steadily worse for the next 3-6 months, and there isn't much that can be done about it.

Surely it will be most diligent to immediately cancel all the races before the summer break? That gives maximum time for refunds to be issued and so on.

The feasibility of holding races after the summer break can be assessed by August the 14th, two weeks before the Belgian Grand Prix. It is crucial that future Grand Prixs are cancelled with at least two weeks notice as the Australian Grand Prix cancellation has been very poorly handled.