Breaking news
Formula 1
Ferrari wants F1 assurances over coronavirus threat
Ferrari says that Formula 1 teams must be given assurances about the risks they may face at the Australian Grand Prix over coronavirus implications before staff start travelling to Melbourne.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Feb 28, 2020, 4:44 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Amid growing fears about staff not being allowed to travel, or risking quarantine on arrival, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says F1 and the FIA must ensure there are no surprises for teams.
With Italian team personnel and drivers having trouble getting to this weekend's Bahrain F2 test because of fears over the virus, there is a danger that a similar scenario could await staff travelling to the F1 season opener.
Read Also:
- Coronavirus quarantine forces Lundgaard to miss F2 test
- Monza DTM test relocated due to coronavirus threat
- F1 says "systems are go" for Vietnam amid coronavirus threat
Binotto wants nothing left to chance, and says it will be too late to decide things once personnel are already on their way.
Asked about the potential for a repeat of the troubles that F2 has faced in Bahrain, Binotto said: "[Getting] to testing has been difficult. Some of our engineers going there have remained home so instead of taking the risk to be there and eventually staying there for a few days or many days, they stayed home.
"I think that what we will need is simply to have assurance before leaving. I don't think we can discover when [we are there] what can be or what will be the situation.
"So if there are any medical screenings, we need to know about them. You need to know exactly what's about. We need to understand what are the consequences in case of any problem?
"Obviously we need to protect our employees. We have got collective and individual responsibility towards them. And it's important, really, to make sure that before leaving, the picture, whatever is the scenario, is known and clear."
Team bosses met with F1 CEO Chase Carey on Friday morning for an update on the situation regarding the first three races.
One tough problem for F1 to deal with could be that if one or two teams find that they cannot run in Australia because staff cannot get there, but all the others are fine, whether or not to go ahead with the race.
But Binotto said the implication of such a problem for Italian staff would stretch far beyond Ferrari and AlphaTauri.
"I say it's not only two [teams] because we are supplying assistance to Haas and the Alfa Sauber team," he said. "So it will be four teams at least, plus the Pirelli situation which we need to understand.
"So what will be the situation that if eventually four teams cannot run and if the race will take place or not? That is not my decision."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Hamilton says Mercedes battling "plenty of problems"
Next article FIA announces private "settlement" with Ferrari over F1 engine
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Scuderia Ferrari
Charles Leclerc and Pecco Bagnaia: From kings to princes
MotoGP
MotoGP
Charles Leclerc and Pecco Bagnaia: From kings to princes
Sainz blasts "most unfair penalty ever", seeks stewards' explanation
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Sainz blasts "most unfair penalty ever", seeks stewards' explanation
Calado: "Difficult" for WEC Hypercar newcomers "to win straight off"
WEC
WEC
Calado: "Difficult" for WEC Hypercar newcomers "to win straight off"
Latest news
Valentino Rossi in new autobiography: '2015 still hurts, Marc Marquez wanted me to lose'
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
46 min
Valentino Rossi in new autobiography: '2015 still hurts, Marc Marquez wanted me to lose'
FIA reveals latest ADUO results in final review of 2026 F1 season
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 2 h
FIA reveals latest ADUO results in final review of 2026 F1 season
Toyota “sad” WEC drivers' title was effectively decided before Monza finale
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
2 h
Toyota “sad” WEC drivers' title was effectively decided before Monza finale
Honda struggling to explain Lance Stroll’s 13th DNF of the season
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
3 h
Honda struggling to explain Lance Stroll’s 13th DNF of the season
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe