[forzaferrari]

Tweet from Supercars (official support race series) 10 mins ago..."UPDATE: Gates have not opened, and we will keep Supercars fans updated as soon as new information is available. The latest advice from the Victorian government is that the event will run but there will be no spectators."

[Jody Barton]

The drivers were requested to do the pressing of flesh for the past few days, and a number of them said what precautions have you taken? The answer came back none. The teams asked for the pitlane to remain closed to the public, orgainisers declined, and the FIA and Liberty Media didn't back them. It is my understanding that a number of the teams expressed concerns about the event going ahead last week, and that Ferrari had asked for it to be be cancelled and that Mercedes had also pushed for it to be called off. Still no official word, but as I said, my friend said they were told to pack up hours ago.

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Chase Carey desperate to keep the race on. He's probably waving the concorde agreement in the teams faces, which state if they fail to put on an event the teams are financially liable for the compensation owned to organisers and LM and broadcasters. Could see this coming weeks and weeks ago. WHO now saying the mortality rate in China might have been closer to 10%. Given how virulent it is this could be really bad. I already know 3 people who have it.

[morini]

Tweet from Supercars (official support race series) 10 mins ago..."UPDATE: Gates have not opened, and we will keep Supercars fans updated as soon as new information is available. The latest advice from the Victorian government is that the event will run but there will be no spectators."

The drivers were requested to do the pressing of flesh for the past few days, and a number of them said what precautions have you taken? The answer came back none. The teams asked for the pitlane to remain closed to the public, orgainisers declined, and the FIA and Liberty Media didn't back them. It is my understanding that a number of the teams expressed concerns about the event going ahead last week, and that Ferrari had asked for it to be be cancelled and that Mercedes had also pushed for it to be called off. Still no official word, but as I said, my friend said they were told to pack up hours ago.

These two posts highlight my feeling on the whole thing. We've all heard reports both ways over the past hours but (me personally) I would like to see an official announcement. It is clearly off but not really fair on fans the way this has been communicated. Or not, depending on how you want to look at it.

[morini]

I already know 3 people who have it.

Sorry to hear that, but if they are healthy with no underlying medical conditions I would think they will be fine. There was one confirmed case in the office (of the client I currently contract for), he recovered.

If my back of fag packet figures for Italy are correct their death rate is around 7% (still a lot higher than initial reports).

[Jody Barton]

One of them has Lukemia, so we're concerned.

As I said repeatedly in January, China don't ask for help. Didn't with SARS, Bird Flu, or any of the other public health problems over the last 30 years they've had. Within 2 weeks they were seeking help from the WHO and asking the American CDC and other nations for help, and sending samples all over the place. That should have told everyone how bad it was. China do not ask for outside help ever. Yet this time they did.

[forzaferrari]

...and the wait continues for the poor buggers, it truly is scandalous how f1/Oz gov have handled this, letting thousands of fans gather under the current virus circumstances beggars belief.

   

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Mark Hughes: Fia spokesman. “For us to cancel it on our own would require less than 12 cars to be available. But other than that or from the local authourities the FIA cannot cancel because there are too many commercial agreements that in cancelling the liability would come back to us”

[morini]

One of them has Lukemia, so we're concerned.

Ah, I'm really sorry Jody. My thoughts are with you, really hope your friend pulls through.

[Jody Barton]

It's disgusting. I think what has happened here is a game of Chicken between Australian Authorities, the race organisers and Liberty Media. Whoever blinked first would owe the others compensation, so rather than sitting around the table and try t sort out a mutually beneficial agreement for all parties they waited and waited expecting the other parties to be the grown ups and blink first. Sadly there were no grown ups, as the recent bush fires confirm in the Australian Government and Liberty Media are a shower of shyte. I have no idea what is going on, not had anything from my pitlane moles for 3 hours now, guess they're busy. The lack of information from Liberty and the FIA is unforgivable.

[morini]

Agree with you both, it is farcical and a disgrace.

I'm tempted to stay up and see what happens, but I have a lot on work wise as I'm out of there in 2 weeks. Have to go to bed as early meeting. Catch you tomorrow guys.

[Jody Barton]

Good luck with the work.

Chase Carey is supposedly quoted as saying he expects the race to go ahead.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Formula 1 and the FIA, with the full support of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC), have taken the decision that all Formula 1 activity for the Australian Grand Prix is cancelled <a href="https://t.co/rHbc7hlNvH">pic.twitter.com/rHbc7hlNvH</a></p>&mdash; Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1238240420548751365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

There it is, it is officially off.