Brendan Lines 12 March 2020

Formula 1 has today had the issues of the real world catch up with it as McLaren has now pulled out of the Australian Grand Prix as a team member has tested positive for Coronavirus.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown – Image: F1.com

On a day where the entire NBA season has been shut down, US borders closed, and Italy in lock-down, Formula 1 is now not immune to the pandemic.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown said the team will now be withdrawing from the race in a statement released tonight.

“The team has prepared for his eventually and has ongoing support in place for its employee who will now enter a period of quarantine.” it said.

“The team is cooperating with the relevant authorities to assist their investigations and analysis.”

“Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing and Andreas Siedl, team principal of McLaren F1, informed F1 and the FIA of the decision this evening,

“The decision has been taken on the based on the duty of care not only to McLaren F1 employees and partners, but also to the teams’ competitors, F1 fans and wider stakeholders.”

The revelation has come off the back of World Champion Lewis Hamilton saying it was “shocking” Formula 1 personnel was in Melbourne.

On Wednesday Red Bull’s Alex Albon expressed his insight on the real air of uncertainty that’s descended on the Formula 1 world.

“We’ve already seen China, and it’s very uncertain the future of what’s going to happen on our terms it’s a very serious topic and the team as well as us is taking serious measures towards it,

“We can control what we’re doing, but with everything that’s going on there’s not really much we can do, so it’s very  much focusing on ourselves, and obviously we see what Bahrain now is doing.”