Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey says everyone involved in the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix “made the right decision” as the situation developed.
As travel restrictions were put in place and sporting events elsewhere abandoned, Formula 1 and the FIA – along with race organiser Australian Grand Prix Corporation – pressed on with the season-opening round.
But a member of staff from McLaren tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday evening and the team promptly withdrew from the event.
Neither Formula 1 nor the FIA issued definitive guidelines in the aftermath amid a series of confusing developments that played out through Friday morning.
Teams were initially split on whether to race, personnel were either told to arrive as normal or enter in order to pack up, while fans were held at the gates.
Eventually, at 10am local time, the decision was made to abandon the Australian Grand Prix.
“I think we made the right decision as it evolved,” asserted Carey. “I think we feel we worked well with all of our partners to make that decision.
“Obviously we don’t control how various events evolve — specifically some of the infections and some of the illnesses. We felt we made the right decision when we moved here.
“In hindsight you’re always going to look at things differently. So it’s difficult to go back and look at it moving forward.
“In many places around the world clearly the situation in just 24–48 hours is very different than it was not that long ago.
“People were traveling through Europe and the United States, within 24 hours they are no longer traveling between those countries. So I think these are issues that you have to deal with in real time, make efficient, effective decisions and try and make sure you’re getting all the input and expertise you can to do the right thing. I think we got to the right place.”
Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton was among the most vocal critics on Thursday, suggesting that “cash is king” regarding decisions being undertaken.
Carey strongly refuted that claim, commenting: “If cash was king we wouldn’t have made the decision we did today.
“I have addressed this so I can keep saying the same thing, in hindsight obviously things look different, events evolve situations change we made a decision which given the lead time to come here and hold the event when major events were being held here it was a different situation in the world.
“As the situation changed day to day in some days hour to hour we continued to evaluate that and make the appropriate decisions going forward. We were trying to digest a lot of different information to make the right decision at the right time and I think we did that.”
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