Lewis Hamilton says cancelling F1's Australian GP "the right call"
Formula 1 world champion Le♊wis Hamilton says the decision to cancel the season-opening Australian Grand Prix was “the right call” amid the ongoin♍g coronavirus pandemic.
The Melbourne race was abandoned after a member of the McLaren team tested positive for ജCOVID-19, resulting in the Woking squ🧔ad withdrawing from the event.
Hamilton's Mercedes team confirmed it sent a letter ꦐto F1 and the FIA to request the cancellation race following the outbreak of coronavirus in the paddock.
Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton says the decision to cancel the season-opening Australian Grand Prix was “th♛e right call” aဣmid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Melbourne race was abandoned after a member of the ওMcLaren team tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in the Woking squad withdrawing from the event.
Hamilton's Mercedes team confirmed it sent a letter to F1 and the FIA to🌸 request the cancellation race following the outbreak of coronavirus in the paddock.
Hamilton, who had already admitted that he was “surprised” and “shocked” that the Australian Grand Prix was initially going ahead as planned in the buil𒁏d up to the weekend, praised the decision to call off the race on social media.
“Sadly, this is the right decis⛦ion,” Hamilton said in a post on Twitter.
“No one wants this, we all want to get in our cars and get racing, but we have to be realistic and we must put health and safety firsౠt.
“Tꦚhe reality is, this is really serious with people dying every day, lots of people ill and even if they are not ill, many people being affected financially and emotionally.
“No one really knows the extent of what we are dealing with, 𒅌but we should all take precautions to keep as many people as safe as possible.
“I know it’s disappointing, as sport unites us wh🌱en times are tou💫gh, but it’s the right call.
“Listen to the advice everyone, keep safe. Hope to be back racing so🍃on but in the meantime look after yourselves.”
There 💯are now serious doubts over whether upcoming races in Bahrain and Vietnam on March 22 and April 5 willಞ take place, with F1 bosses currently evaluating the possibility of suspending competition until June.
How the other drivers reacted on social media:
All I want to do is ra♌ce. But safety and health comes first. Hope to be racing soon again! Stay safe everyone
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas)
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris)
Really sad news at the . Cancelling the first GP of 🌺the season is a hard decision but it had to be made. Now I just hope the best for everyone in the affected regions. Lets hope this pandemic outbreak is under control asap. Please people be conscious and stay safe!
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55)
We'll hav🍷e to wait a bit longer to get back in the car. I was really looking forward to get back behind the wheel but this is the best decision, the health of everyone is the priority. Stay safe everyone
— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc)
We were all looking forward to the start of the 2020 season. Of course I’m disappointed but we all understand that in the end thi♓s was the right decision. Feeling sorry for all theꦿ fans and everyone involved. Stay safe
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen)
I’m devastated I can’t compete at my home GP here in Melbourne & get the season started. Ultimately though the right decision has been maꦰde & I think🌊 everyone can understand this is something we’ve never seen before. Sorry to all fans who came out for the support. Much love
— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo)
Will have to wait some more days to get officialℱly back racing. Of course, very disappointed but this is the best decision for us drivers, teams and fans. Hopefully the whole situation will get better soonStay safe.
— Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban)
Stay safe everyone, and let’s hope this whole COVID-19 situation gets better soon. Shame we can’t race here in Australia, but keepi🐟ng everybody health & safety is priority. Was really looking forward to start the season, but we will have to wait. Lets hope for better news soon
— PIERRE GASLY (@PierreGASLY)
Llegamos a con mucha ilusión, después de tanta preparación tristemente no vamos iniciar la temporada! Pero ahora lo más importante es la salud de todos, hay♋ que ser conscientes y tomar todas las medidas que estén a nuestro alcance. Mucha fuerza para todos y cuidémonos mucho!!!!
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez)
La salute viene prima di qualsiasi cosa.
— Antonio Giovinazzi (@Anto_Giovinazzi)
Questo è il momento del coraggio, di uno un sport che corre a oltre 300 Km/h, ma che ha trovato il coraggio di fermarsi. Il coraggio di ognuno di noi nel saper aspettare, con 💮impegno e responsabilità
No race here in Melbourne. Feels like a big thing for us as we prepared very hard for it B❀UT actually a very small thing compare to the challenge the world is facing right noꦉw. Stay safe everyone and try to fight as much as you can.
— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean)
Was so pumped to go racing thi꧋s weekend, but the safety, health and well being of everyone is by far the most important thing and this was the right thing to do. Stay safe everyone and look after each other
— Kevin Magnussen (@KevinMagnussen)
Can’t remember ever be✅ing more excited for a race weekend than this one - but cancelling was absolutely the right call. Eveybody’s safety has to come first. Stay safe people
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63)
It goes without saying that I was extremely excited to finally make my debut in Formula 1 this weekend but it will have to wait. The safety and well being of everyone involved has to be t🌞he priority. Stay safe ever♈yone and hopefully we can go racing sometime soon
— Nicholas Latifi (@NicholasLatifi)
Lewis regularly 𓂃attends Grands 🎃Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
