BREAKING: 2020 AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 1 GP CANCELLED

[Jenn Cutter]

Finally official.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1238240420548751365

 

[muzikant]

Phillip Horton

@PHortonF1
·
3 m

The FIA and Formula 1, with the full support of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) have therefore taken the decision that all Formula 1 activity for the Australian Grand Prix is cancelled.

 

[FinFan]

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews told 7News Sydney: “On public health grounds, there will be no spectators at the grand prix this weekend if a race actually happens at all. That is a matter for them and they will make announcements very soon.”

So Australian authorities have no say in the matter ? Even if they think that public health is an issue they can not prevent the F1 from racing. I found that hard to believe.
Does that mean now that police will be on location to prevent fans from entering the area ?

Edit:
OK, posted that at the same time the cancellation came.

 

[CDwyer]

and the WEC 1000 miles of Sebring has been canceled too!!!!!!

Although that was because of travel restrictions imposed on Continental Europe, rather than a direct concern for the virus from organizers.

 

[rubaru]

Why is the announcement on formula1.com dated 7 hrs ago? WTH? It just popped up moments ago.

 

[FinFan]

Why is the announcement on formula1.com dated 7 hrs ago? WTH? It just popped up moments ago.

Because they probably wrote it at the time which in itself speaks volumes. Maybe they were hoping for a miracle ? In any case, making it official with less than an hour to go they now have thousands (I guess) on site. That's very poor management.

 

[Jenn Cutter]

Why is the announcement on formula1.com dated 7 hrs ago? WTH? It just popped up moments ago.

Likely their comms people has drafts ready to go for every possible outcome, then someone on the webteam forgot to update the timestamp before making it public. In case they change it later, here's a screenshot showing this was prepped over 7 hours ago.

 

[Isaac Chavira]

I think @Bram Hengeveld should take the top racers in this site and hold a virtual live race, full time, so we can cheer on our brothers and sisters.

 

[Case_]

Cancelling the event when people have already traveled there and crowds are gathered at the gates is pretty dumb, it should've been done well in advance. The potential damage has already been done to a large degree at that point.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

@slowdrive

I think @Bram Hengeveld should take the top racers in this site and hold a virtual live race, full time, so we can cheer on our brothers and sisters.

Actually we should! Big gap to fill though with the GP cancelled.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Likely their comms people has drafts ready to go for every possible outcome, then someone on the webteam forgot to update the timestamp before making it public. In case they change it later, here's a screenshot showing this was prepped over 7 hours ago.

View attachment 355024

Seven hours of legal meetings to spell check every letter of the announcement also

Hope we can see what happened behind the scenes next year on Netflix.

 

[M-Bimmer]

Was expected this to be announced after WHO declared COVID-19 outbreak to be pandemic.
Guess it’s time to download the free F1 2019 and play it for the next few days.

 

[Ricoow]

Well, so far my season opener hype.

Bets are on, Bahrain without spectators or Bahrain cancelled?

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Bets are on, Bahrain without spectators or Bahrain cancelled?

Cancelled and Zandvoort too. Can't see it happening with so many people being on such a small track with a shitty infrastructure.

 

[Ricoow]

Cancelled and Zandvoort too. Can't see it happening with so many people being on such a small track with a shitty infrastructure.

Different bet then, what is the first grand prix for 2020?

 

[FinFan]

Hope we can see what happened behind the scenes next year on Netflix.

Somehow I doubt that very much.

Bets are on, Bahrain without spectators or Bahrain cancelled?

Without spectators as that has already been said. On second thought, what they say isn't worth much after today I guess.

 

[dcollins22585]

It's the freakin flu people!!

 

[Neilski]

Likely their comms people has drafts ready to go for every possible outcome, then someone on the webteam forgot to update the timestamp before making it public. In case they change it later, here's a screenshot showing this was prepped over 7 hours ago.

View attachment 355024

Yeah, I chuckled when I loaded the page and it told me "8 hours ago".
They even embed the precise (millisecond-level! ) timestamp into the page, which translates to "Thursday, 12 March 2020 15:55:03.762 GMT" - not so long after the media started reporting that it was being called off.
I wonder if they'll bother to "fix" it at all now...

 

[Deleted member 561801]

So not chance of handing over the GP later?

 

[delpinsky]

It would have been a shame being so blind not to see the global threat of this virus...