MELBOURNE, Australia – McLaren officials have announced the team has withdrawn from the opening round of the Formula One season, the Australian Grand Prix, after one of the team’s crew members was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
In a statement released on Twitter, McLaren officials confirmed the team member self-isolated as soon as soon as they began feeling symptoms. They will be treated by local healthcare authorities and will remain in quarantine.
As a result of the diagnosis, McLaren’s Zak Brown made the decision to withdraw his team from the Australian Grand Prix.
“Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, and Andreas Seidl, Team Principal of McLaren F1, informed Formula One and the FIA of the decision (to withdraw) this evening,” the statement read. “The decision has been taken based on a duty of care not only to McLaren F1 employees and partners, but also to the team’s competitors, Formula One fans and wider F1 stakeholders.”
McLaren Racing withdraws from the 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/BZvHVKQoev
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 12, 2020
This is the latest in a series of announcements by motorsports entities who have taken action as the coronavirus continues to spread worldwide. MotoGP has postponed or canceled the first four rounds of its season, Monster Energy AMA Supercross canceled the round scheduled for Saturday in Seattle, Wash., and Formula E has canceled multiple events.