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Formula 1 Australian GP

Podcast: What really happened behind the scenes in Melbourne

The cancellation of the 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix due to the coronavirus pandemic proved to be a chaotic and farcical episode.

Edited: Apr 20, 2020, 11:36 AM

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Racing Point personnel pack away their equipment on the pitwall

The outbreak of COVID-19 has played havoc with the motorsport world, with numerous series forced to cancel and postpone races. F1 fully intended to carry on with the Australian GP, but not even the pinnacle of motorsport could avoid getting caught up in the coronavirus situation.

After a McLaren team member was diagnosed with the virus on Thursday, overnight meetings ensued between F1 and team bosses – with confusion reigning as to the outcome of these talks.

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With fans queuing outside the circuit on Friday morning as organisers were adamant the event was going ahead, despite reports to the contrary, the race was eventually canned.

F1 now faces numerous big questions on the cancelled race and what happens next.

In the latest Autosport Podcast, Autosport's Grand Prix Editor Alex Kalinauckas delves into what happened behind the scenes at Albert Park with Autosport's F1 Reporter Luke Smith, Motorsport.com's F1 Editor Jonathan Noble and Motorsport.com's Australian Editor Andrew van Leeuwen...

 

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Previous article How F1 can slot lost races back into the calendar

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