Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

F1 was ‘playing with fire’ at Australian GP – Ricciardo

by Phillip Horton
5 years ago
A A
0
F1 was ‘playing with fire’ at Australian GP – Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Renault F1 Team. Australian Grand Prix, Thursday 12th March 2020. Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Daniel Ricciardo says Formula 1 was “playing with fire” when it was pressing ahead with plans to race in Australia, suggesting senior officials were incorrect to persevere for as long as they did.

The Formula 1 circus travelled to Australia for the season-opening round amid the worsening nature of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

Late on Thursday night in Melbourne a team member from McLaren tested positive for COVID-19 and the squad withdrew from the remainder of the event.

It took until 10am on Friday before the event was officially called off, with fans and personnel from the majority of teams having already arrived at Albert Park.

RelatedPosts

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosted F1 personnel prior to the British GP

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosts F1 personnel ahead of 2025 British GP

2 hours ago
The Canadian Tire Motorsport Park hosts the Chevrolet Grand Prix for IMSA's sole trip outside the USA

35 entries confirmed for Canadian IMSA sprint round

2 hours ago

Formula 1 has since postponed all of its events through June’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Monaco joining Australia in being cancelled altogether.

“I definitely had some tunnel vision because Melbourne is such a busy and chaotic race,” Ricciardo told Australian newspaper The Age.

“I hadn’t given too much thought to the whole corona situation but deep down I had some concerns. We were definitely playing with fire.

“You start replaying every interaction you had, who you spoke to, where you were … it was easy to get paranoid.

“Even a few weeks earlier we were all in Barcelona at testing, there were no restrictions, typically everyone has a cold at that time of year in Europe … your mind definitely wanders.

“Once we got closer to the race and when you saw what was going on with other sports like the NBA, I was definitely thinking ‘no, we absolutely shouldn’t be doing this.’”

Ricciardo swiftly returned to his native Perth, in western Australia, where he has remained since.

“We were all gutted that it didn’t go ahead and it was such a shame for everyone who works there, who goes as a spectator, for the people who wanted to watch it on TV, but it was 100 per cent the right call,” he said of the event’s cancellation.

“The Sunday, as in race day in Melbourne, was strange because I was home.

“It was around race start time on the Sunday and I had a moment where I thought ‘man, I should be in an F1 car right now’. It sucked.”

Share230Tweet124Share

Related Posts

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosted F1 personnel prior to the British GP
Formula 1

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosts F1 personnel ahead of 2025 British GP

2 hours ago
Why Ferrari must tread carefully to avoid losing its most priceless F1 asset
Feature

Why Ferrari must tread carefully to avoid losing its most priceless F1 asset

2 hours ago
McLaren will run a special livery at this weekend's British GP
Formula 1

McLaren revives Chrome look for special F1 British GP livery

4 hours ago
Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Upcoming Races

#EventDate
11Austrian GP27-29 June
12British GP04-06 July
13Belgian GP25-27 July
14Hungarian GP01-03 August
15Dutch GP29-31 August

Click here for the full 2025 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

#DriverPts
Oscar Piastri216
Lando Norris201
Max Verstappen155
George Russell146
Charles Leclerc120
Lewis Hamilton91
Andrea Kimi Antonelli63
Alexander Albon42
Isack Hadjar28
Esteban Ocon23

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Latest Articles

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosted F1 personnel prior to the British GP
Formula 1

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hosts F1 personnel ahead of 2025 British GP

July 2, 2025
Why Ferrari must tread carefully to avoid losing its most priceless F1 asset
Feature

Why Ferrari must tread carefully to avoid losing its most priceless F1 asset

July 2, 2025
McLaren will run a special livery at this weekend's British GP
Formula 1

McLaren revives Chrome look for special F1 British GP livery

July 2, 2025

Follow Motorsport Week

Join our daily motorsport newsletter

* indicates required

Motorsport Week

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • 2025 F1 Calendar
    • 2025 F1 Championship Standings
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2025 FE Calendar
    • 2025 FE Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
    • 2025 WRC Standings
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd