Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel said the drivers are prepared to pull out of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne – effectively cancelling the event – due to coronavirus fears.
Vettel’s comments on Thursday came as other world champions Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen also said the season-opening event should not be going ahead, and with five crew members already placed in quarantine showing signs of the virus.
While race organisers and the Victorian state government were insistent the race weekend will proceed as planned, a withdrawal by drivers would prevent it going ahead.
Sebastian Vettel (left) said the drivers are prepared to pull out of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne
Esteban Ocon of Renault arrives with a face mask ahead of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2020
‘We hope it doesn’t get that far, but if it were to get that far then for sure you pull the handbrake,’ Ferrari driver Vettel said, saying a positive test among any team staff would be a sufficient trigger for drivers to withdraw.
‘We are a group of 20 guys and we’ve got together over the last years for various circumstances on various topics, and we share common opinion on big decisions.
‘I would qualify it is a very, very big decision and ultimately you look at yourself.
‘We would be mature enough to look after ourselves and pull the handbrake in that case.’
Lewis Hamilton said it was ‘shocking’ the Australian GP will go ahead amid coronavirus threat
Daniel Riccardo of Renault arrives at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne and stays away from fans
‘We hope it doesn’t get that far, but if it were to get that far then for sure you pull the handbrake,’ Ferrari driver Vettel said
Hamilton said it was ‘shocking’ that the event had been allowed to go ahead as other sports around the world suspend activities or play behind closed doors, while health experts were warning against large gatherings of people.
‘I am really very, very surprised we are here,’ Hamilton told reporters at the Albert Park media centre, a day before the cars roll out for the first free practice sessions at the circuit.
‘It is great we have races but for me it is shocking that we are all sitting in this room.
‘We’ve seen (US President Donald) Trump shutting down the borders from Europe… we’re seeing the NBA has been suspended yet Formula One continues to go on.’
While race organisers and the Victorian state government were insistent the race weekend will proceed as planned, a withdrawal by drivers would prevent it going ahead. Fans are seen waiting for drivers on Thursday
Esteban Ocon of Renault arrives with a face mask while giving a thumbs up to fans
When asked why he thought the race was going ahead, the reigning world champion from the Mercedes team said: ‘Cash is king’.
‘I just urge everyone to really just be as careful as you can be in touching doors and surfaces. I hope everyone’s got hand sanitizer, and really for the fans I really, really hope that they take precautions.’
Alfa Romeo’s veteran driver Raikkonen said if it was up to the teams and the drivers, the race would have been postponed or cancelled.
‘I don’t know if it’s the right thing that we are here. Probably not,’ Raikkonen said.
‘But it’s not up to us, it’s not our decision. If it would be purely all the teams’ decision we probably wouldn’t be here.’
Red Bull Holden drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup claim the first two Supercars pole positions
Jamie Whincup has battled through a sore ankle to help Red Bull Holden claim the first two Supercars pole positions up for grabs at the Melbourne 400 at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.
The 37-year-old topped the times in the second qualifying session on Thursday after teammate Shane van Gisbergen nabbed the first pole position available at the Albert Park circuit.
‘I was running late for drivers’ briefing and came out of the truck and rolled it pretty bad actually,’ Whincup said.
‘I was happy to get through today and then we’ll give it some treatment tomorrow.
Jamie Whincup has battled through a sore ankle to help Red Bull Holden claim the first two Supercars pole positions
‘It’s sore but didn’t affect the lap time at all, which is good, so I’m very lucky.’
Tickford Racing’s Cameron Waters will also start on the front row in his Ford Mustang.
Red Bull locked down the first row for Race 3 when van Gisbergen finished ahead of Whincup in the first qualifying session.
Ford flyers Will Davison and reigning champion Scott McLaughlin will start on the second row in third and fourth respectively.
Macauley Jones was unable to take part in either of the day’s qualifying sessions.
His Team CoolDrive Commodore suffered a brake failure at high speed approaching Turn 1 and crashed into the tyre barrier in a collision that ended the second practice session.
The circuit will host four 20-lap races across the course of the Formula One meeting.
Championship leader McLaughlin has a 27-point lead on Whincup after the season-opening Adelaide 500.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has sought to assure Australians the government is taking action on coronavirus but says everyone has a role to play.
Scott Morrison addressed the nation on Thursday night, the first prime minister to do so since Julia Gillard laid out her government’s climate plan in 2011.
From Sydney, he detailed his government’s $22.9 billion economic stimulus package, dividing his government’s strategy into three goals.
‘One, protect Australians’ health; two, secure Australians’ jobs and livelihoods; and three, set Australia up to bounce back stronger when the crisis is over,’ he said.
The words ‘bounce back’ were a prominent theme in Mr Morrison’s speech as spruiked the government’s economic performance.
‘Once the virus has run its course, we are making sure Australia can bounce back strongly,’ Mr Morrison said.
The stimulus package includes cheques to welfare recipients and pensioners, wage subsidies for employers to keep apprentices employed and cash boosts to small businesses.
‘We can take this action now because we have worked hard to bring the budget back into balance,’ Mr Morrison said.
But he also sought to rally Australians, saying there were challenging months ahead as the world dealt with the fallout from the virus.
‘Now I know, many Australians are anxious about this and we do still have a long way to go,’ Mr Morrison said.
‘We will get through this together, Australia. We all have a role to play.’
‘I know we’ll all do our bit.’
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Travel from Europe to Australia could be banned amid fears it will spread coronavirus
Travel from Europe to Australia may soon be banned to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked health officials to look at whether flights should be stopped.
No time frame was given for when a decision would be made.
Meanwhile, the federal government extended bans for China, Italy, South Korea and Iran.
The bans mean any foreigner has to spend 14 days outside those countries before entering Australia.
So far there are 141 cases of the virus in the country, causing three deaths.
A traveller wears a mask at Sydney International Airport on Thursday
It comes after US President Donald Trump told America he was ordering an immediate shut-down of all travel from Europe to the United States as he addressed the nation on the coronavirus.
‘We will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days,’ Trump announced, in a speech from the Oval Office to the nation.
Speaking hours after world health officials declared the coronavirus a pandemic, Trump repeatedly defended his own actions and vowed the nation would prevail in countering the virus and getting treatment on the market.
‘The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight,’ he said. The move was so sudden the acting Homeland Security secretary said he would issue full guidance on how to carry it out within 48 hours.
He urged elderly Americans to take great caution, urged cutting off visitors to nursing homes, and told Americans to wash their hands diligently.
‘The virus will not have a chance against us – no nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States,’ he said.
Shadow cabinet minister Bill Shorten demanded Australia introduce social distancing ‘not in weeks and months but in days’.
‘The only way to make sure this pandemic is not worse than it otherwise could be is to have more drastic social distancing measures,’ he told Sky News.
‘Singapore and Japan and parts of China, they are putting in more draconian reactions. As a result it would appear that some of their pandemic numbers are not going to be as bad as other countries who are doing too little too late.’
Earlier on Thursday Scott Morrison announced that a quarter of Australians will be given $750 as part of a $23billion bid to prevent a recession as coronavirus rocks the economy.
The cash will be handed out to 6.5million people including 3.6million pensioners, 1.1million students and working-age welfare recipients and 1.5million others including veterans and parents who receive family tax breaks.
The payments totalling $4.8billion will be begin on 31 March and will be transferred automatically through the tax system.
Scott Morrison (pictured today) has unveiled his $23billion stimulus package to prevent a recession as coronavirus rocks the economy
‘Australians will spend that money and that money will encourage economic activity,’ Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said.
The measure is part of a huge stimulus plan – the first of its kind since the 2008 financial crash – to save thousands of jobs and companies as coronavirus pushes Australia towards recession.
Despite the announcement this morning, the Australian stock market continued to plunge as the World Health Organisation said the outbreak was a global pandemic and the US banned flights from Europe, excluding the UK.
Other measures in the package focus on helping small businesses and companies in the tourism industry that has been pushed to the brink by the virus.
The government will hand out tax-free cash grants of up to $25,000 to 7,000 small businesses who turn over less than $50million and employ people.
There will also be a 50 per cent wage subsidy for 117,000 apprentices worth $21,000 per apprentice. The cash will be paid to companies so they can afford to keep their young employees in work.
Instant asset write offs will be expanded so tradies can buy trucks and other equipment worth $150,000 on the taxman until 30 June. The previous limit was $30,000.
Mr Morrison also vowed to make sure casual workers who can’t find work due to the virus will not have to wait to access Newstart’s sickness payment.
There is also a $1billion fund to help tourism businesses affected by the downturn, similar to a disaster recovery fund. The ATO is also allowing affected businesses to delay their tax obligations for four months.
The Prime Minister said the package is worth $17.629 billion over the next four to six months, giving the economy a boost worth $22.9 billion or 1.2 per cent of GDP.
‘This plan is about keeping Australians in jobs. This plan is about keeping a business in business, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, and this plan is about ensuring the Australian economy bounces back stronger on the other side of this and, with that, the Budget bounces back with it,’ Mr Morrison said.
Travellers at Sydney Airport wear masks and gloves in a bid to avoid getting coronavirus