THE F1 COVID THREAD: Will GP be cancelled?

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by S griffin

It’s a tough one. When you put contracts in like that, it leaves tricky situations like this. They need to find some compensation.

It’s a tricky situation when teams are struggling of course. It’s a good thing we had someone like Bernie doing good deals, although it tend to favour the best teams. I am sure we can make it up to full grids again

Let’s what happens with GPs like Vietnam. Of course there has been situations like this in the past, we all remember the rained off MotoGP Silverstone race a couple of years ago, which was a massive shame, but thankfully there were plenty of other GPs to keep it going

This is a fast developing global situation though - it is accelerating in Germany and now present in Poland. According to the UK medical officer, viruses like this start slowly, build gradually and then grow very quickly, perhaps 6 - 8 weeks or so after the slow start. This would put the peak growth period into British GP territory by which time the UK government might have banned large scale public events (according to yesterdays statement if things develop).

This is a moving feast and FOM need to realise this, they cannot control events - this is fast developing - countries on the calendar that have few cases now, may well be in the thick of the virus by the time their race is due.

[S griffin]

It’s not an easy situation, we need to hope that their is an end to this in sight. Hopefully sooner rather than later, then things can carry on as normal. It’s unfortunate when this happens and as you say it’s out of the FIA’s hands. Here’s hoping that the situation doesn’t go on much longer. It is always a concern when this happens.

[Armco Bender]

Travel restrictions on Italy and South Korea are being considered at the highest levels of the Morrison government as it prepares to extend the travel ban on China and Iran and move the unprecedented coronavirus measures into a sixth week....https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/tr...04-p546sl.html

The end might be nigh for the Aussie GP.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

This is a moving feast and FOM need to realise this, they cannot control events - this is fast developing - countries on the calendar that have few cases now, may well be in the thick of the virus by the time their race is due.

I think is exactly why the releases haven't been definitive in nature. No one wants to cancel and have money burnt without some recovery, especially if they need to have funds available for recovery/economic reasons later. And cancelling too soon sends a VERY poor message. Just look at the idiots here in the US, Amazon is sold out of Purell with an unknown resupply date, with very few actual cases and but a few were ALL linked to travel within the most impacted areas. But good news, secondary market suppliers will now sell masks and Purell on FB market and Amazon at only a couple thousand percent markups. Last I saw 2 8oz Purell, usually around 2/$5 and 2/$3 on sale, were 75 bucks. That seems appropriate right?

Now add a major event cancelling to that level of idiocy, and OH DEAR GOD listening to my office full of college educated idiots talk so i can't imagine those who only get their news from Facebook and Twitter, it will NOT go well.

[Compromised]

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

The end might be nigh for the Aussie GP.

And so it should be - if you think of the GP as a mass congregation of people from all over the world in a relatively small area, it's certainly a risky proposition at the moment. A car race isn't exactly worth the (potential) trouble is it?

We all know Lewis was going to win anyway...

[chavez]

Not a ban, but Italian arrivals to Australia to undergo enhanced screening.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-...-iran/12027348

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by chavez

Not a ban, but Italian arrivals to Australia to undergo enhanced screening.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-...-iran/12027348

Listening to Scotty from marketing's press conference it would seem that they are bending over backwards to try and save the Oz GP.



I just hope the teams enter into the spirit of the trust being put in them and pre-screen and pre-isolate members traveling to Oz to prevent hassles on arrival.


Not so sure if we can justify the current ruling but here's hoping it can go ahead without importing too many more cases.


Don't dine on Lygon St during the next couple of weeks

[Casper]

My initial thought when I read Ross Brawn's statement was he is trying a form of coercion on promoters, start lobbying your government to allow the race or we don't go there at all if partial bans on the race are put in place and you lose.

There was a death overnight in NSW which was a first so stuff is getting real in Oz.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Casper

My initial thought when I read Ross Brawn's statement was he is trying a form of coercion on promoters, start lobbying your government to allow the race or we don't go there at all if partial bans on the race are put in place and you lose.

There was a death overnight in NSW which was a first so stuff is getting real in Oz.

I took it more as we all need to make a decision early and if we wait this would happen. I think it will lead to more cancels than non-points honestly. And I'm thinking it's a 5-6 race lost season ahead

[Casper]

I suspect the Ross Brawn comments led to a an overnight lobbying campaign and this announcement

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/all-sys...05-p54774.html

[Compromised]

Yeah it's quite laughable that travellers from Italy are exempt from the ban. I even heard the PM justify it by saying Australia gets more travellers from South Korea than Italy!

[Armco Bender]

Aussie GP may have to be canned as due to panic buying theres no toilet paper left......https://www.smh.com.au/national/what...04-p546tt.html

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

Aussie GP may have to be canned [/url]

toilet paper......canned....I see what you did there ;-p

[S griffin]

You do tend to get a lot of panic buying in situations like this. I hope this doesn't impact things too much. Very good pun btw intentional or not

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Compromised

...if you think of the GP as a mass congregation of people from all over the world in a relatively small area, it's certainly a risky proposition at the moment...

funny but true!

if i was an Australian taxpayer i would be pretty upset. presumably their gov't is already spending millions of taxpayer dollars to contain the virus only for them compromise their ability to contain the virus? how much more will that cost them?

maybe thats over dramatic, maybe its already too late to control the spread of the virus...but you just know someone working the event, someone traveling for the event is going to get it/spread it.

anyways, i am curious to see what the actual turn out will be.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

Aussie GP may have to be canned as due to panic buying theres no toilet paper left......https://www.smh.com.au/national/what...04-p546tt.html

we're running out of toilet paper here as well...like i get it but i also dont get it. its like everyone is worried that the sky is going to fall so they ran out to buy up all the umbrellas!

clearly the main condition for entry should be how many rolls are you bringing into the country!

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

we're running out of toilet paper here as well...like i get it but i also dont get it. its like everyone is worried that the sky is going to fall so they ran out to buy up all the umbrellas!

clearly the main condition for entry should be how many rolls are you bringing into the country!

Lol, my wife said store was wiped out of toilet paper here in NC as well. I wonder what the shelves at the local ABC store look like! (Note, for those outside of the US, some places, by law, require you to buy hard liquor from state run "Alcoholic Beverage Control" stores)

Richard

[GT6]

Why toilet paper, never thought flu gave you the runs, just cough and sneezes, if it was a stomach bug i could understand.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by GT6

Why toilet paper, never thought flu gave you the runs, just cough and sneezes, if it was a stomach bug i could understand.

Yes, this has puzzled me as well!

Paracetamol is becoming scarce here as the main (Indian) manufacturer has announced having to restrict worldwide sales due to a huge increase in demand. But in my locality there is virtually no Coronavirus, so why the panic buying? Crazy....

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by GT6

Why toilet paper, never thought flu gave you the runs, just cough and sneezes, if it was a stomach bug i could understand.

I think many are going through their regional "emergancy" supply list. Here in NC we deal with hurricane's so it's stuff like Milk, Bread and apparently toilet paper. There have also been some lists published recently that cover these things. Including over the counter medicine that is now in short supply.

Richard

[chillibowl]

and it never goes bad so why not buy more if its on your check list. that part of it makes sense.

i guess its just humours to realize that the thing that truly unites us all is our collective need to maintain toilet paper security.

our collective fear of running out of toilet paper is the true pandemic we should fighting!

[Nikki Katz]

According to autosport Bahrain have stopped selling tickets for the time being whilst they assess

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by GT6

Why toilet paper, never thought flu gave you the runs, just cough and sneezes, if it was a stomach bug i could understand.

The best solution those who study populations and human activity was someone saw it and we are copiers by nature. It was rumored in China the paper could be folded and used as a replacement for masks which were in short supply. It was BS and the usual FB content but we know how quickly bull excrement spreads and multiplies there. It also disappears faster and is noticed because of the sheer space it takes up on shelves.

The US supply is decent or so Georgia Pacific claims, but almost all stores are out of hand sanitizer, and anything chlorine related wipe product of any kind. And it's not to stockpile because you can find both on Amazon at massive mark up

[Compromised]

Wonder what the odds are on an Italian ban once all the teams etc are in Australia?

[Casper]

The back story to the toilet paper is a few days ago a TV station here did a story on possible shortages that might occur in supermarkets and toilet paper was one of those items....enter instant panic buying.