As the effects of the Coronavirus become more widespread around the world, sporting events are beginning to feel the effects, with the opening 3 races of the F1 season the latest to feel the heat.
The Australian, Bahrain and Vietnam editions of the race are those under the microscope, with the Chinese edition already postponed.
Of particular concern is the participation of the Italian teams, with both Ferrari and the Alpha Tauri Team putting restrictions on “non-critical” business travel.
READ: What you need to know about the coronavirus in Australia
“We take guidance from the chief medical officers in Australia and ultimately from government,” said Andrew Westacott, the chief executive of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.
“Government and health officers will look at things medically and economically and assess risk.”
In addition to the Italian teams, Japanese-based Honda is also restricting the movements of staff, so as to prevent them from potentially sending infected workers to Australia.
In Vietnam, the International Challenge badminton tournament in Hanoi, which was due to start the week after the Vietnam Grand Prix, has already been canceled, with authorities citing the health risk.
Bahrain currently has 26 confirmed cases of the virus, with the F1 monitoring the situation closely.
The coronavirus has yet to be declared a pandemic, but that could be set to change in the coming days.
