F1’s medical report from the Australian GP counts two more suspect Coronavirus cases. Other two Haas team members were tested on Thursday after displaying feverish symptoms. Adding to yesterday’s 3 diseased emplyoees (one from McLaren, two from Haas), the total of potentially infected patients from the F1 paddock goes up to 5.

At the moment it is uncertain when the test results will be known, but Haas team boss Guenther Steiner stressed the fact that the issue must not be underestimated.

“Until then, I don’t know anything,” commented the Italian team principal.

“I don’t want to speculate. I’m not a doctor so hopefully they come back negative and we keep going like we want to. It’s something we need to take seriously. We take it very seriously. If somebody has something, we ask them to tell us, be as safe as possible and don’t hide it.

“That would be the worse thing to do, to spread the virus by not giving attention to it.”

Lewis Hamilton’s blunt and brutally honest declarations during today’s FIA press conference stood out and swiftly went viral, as he opened up about his genuine concerns regarding the virus.

The Australian GP cancelled the scheduled autograph sessions, but all sessions and fan participation are set to go on in full effect. Hamilton had his say about it, stating that it feels ‘shocking’ to be still racing without taking any precautions. 
“I am very, very surprised that we are here. I think it's great that we have races, but for me it's shocking that we're all sitting in this room".

"So many fans here already today and it seems like the rest of the world is reacting, probably a little bit late, but already this morning we've seen Trump shutting down the borders from Europe to the States. We are seeing the NBA being suspended, and F1 continues to go on”.

“I saw Jackie Stewart this morning, looking fit and healthy and well, and some people as I walked into the paddock, some elderly individuals. So it's a concern for the people here. It's definitely concerning for me”.

Why is the race still going ahead? Hamilton’s answer is as good as it gets. “Cash is king, but honestly I don't know. I can't really add much”.

“I don't feel like I should shy away from the fact of my opinion. The fact is we are here and I just urge everyone to really just be as careful as you can be in touching doors and surfaces. I hope everyone's got hand sanitizer, and really for the fans I really, really hope that they take precautions”.

Sebastian Vettel corroborated the message of the six-time champion, outlining that all drivers agree to ‘pull the handbrake’ if the situation gets worse. The GPDA unanimously agrees on pushing for restrictive measures to contain the Coronavirus outbreak and ensure the safety of paddock attendees and fans.

 "I hope others would agree, and we hope it doesn't get that far, but if it were to get that far then for sure you pull the handbrake," said the Ferrari driver.

"I think we are a group of 20 guys and I think we've got together over the last years for various circumstances on various topics, and I think we share common opinion on big decisions and that".

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