CORONAVIRUS : MCLAREN STAFF SET TO COME HOME

The remaining staff members from the McLaren team are set to return home to the UK this week after facing a fourteen-day quarantine in Melbourne.

16 members from the team were put into quarantine after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus while the team was preparing for the Australian Grand Prix.

The Grand Prix, set to take place between the 13th and 15th of March, was initially cancelled two hours before the start of the first free practice after the McLaren team withdrew from the race weekend.

Since, the following seven races have been postponed, with Monaco being cancelled completely for the 2020 season.

It is understood that the member who tested positive for the virus has recovered and returned home last week after being declared symptom-free by Melbourne health authorities.

A member from F1’s tyre supplier, Pirelli, who also tested positive for the virus has also recovered and has returned home.

Formula 1 had hoped for starting the delayed season at the Monaco Grand Prix in late May, however, these hopes were dashed with the announcement of the cancellation of the event for this season.

It will be the first time since 1954 that the famous race in the principality will not make an appearance on the world championship calendar.

With the Azerbaijan Grand Prix also being confirmed as postponed on Monday, F1 CEO Chase Carey is still confident that there can be a possible 15-18 race world championship this year.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has said that teams are working very hard alongside F1 and the FIA in order to be able to start the championship as soon as it is safe to do so.

“The teams, F1 and FIA are working very closely together to do everything we can so when the world is a safe place to go racing, we can go racing, and hopefully have as much of the schedule preserved (as possible),” Brown told BBC Sport.

“There are plans in place to start up in the summertime if the world allows us to and still get in quite a bit of the racing season. Hopefully, that will happen.”

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CORONAVIRUS : MCLAREN STAFF SET TO COME HOME – CORONAVIRUS : MCLAREN STAFF SET TO COME HOME