Lewis Hamilton says F1 was right to finally scrap races as everyone has to ‘put health and safety first’

LEWIS HAMILTON believes F1 was right to finally scrap the Australian GP as races in Bahrain and Vietnam were also called off.

But the season may not get under way until June, with up to SEVEN races under threat.

Lewis Hamilton believes that F1 chiefs have made the right call in suspending the seasonCredit: EPA

Six-time world champ Hamilton claimed on Thursday he was “shocked” the Melbourne curtain-raiser was going ahead in the first place and that “cash is king”.

But yesterday the Brit, 35, welcomed a late call to cancel the race after McLaren withdrew when a team member tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

Hamilton said: “Sadly, this is the right decision. No one wants this, we all want to get in our cars and get racing.

We should all take precautions to keep as many people safe as possible. I know it’s disappointing, as sport unites us when times are tough but it’s the right call.

Lewis Hamilton

“But we have to be realistic and must put health and safety first.

“The reality is, this is serious with people dying every day, lots of people ill and even if they are not ill, many people are being affected financially and emotionally.

“We should all take precautions to keep as many people safe as possible. I know it’s disappointing, as sport unites us when times are tough but it’s the right call.

“Hope to be back racing soon, but in the meantime, take care of yourselves.”

Next weekend’s behind-closed-doors race in Bahrain, and the inaugural round in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, which had been pencilled in for April 5, have since been called off.

The Dutch GP — the first in Holland for 36 years — is due to take place on May 3 but that might now be moved to August, with the sport’s customary summer break scrapped.

As many as 18 races might be staged in six months. And the start to the campaign is set to be delayed until the Azerbaijan GP, pencilled in for June 7, at the earliest.

As it stands, the season is due to end in Abu Dhabi on November 29 but that race could be pushed back until December to allow room for next month’s already postponed Chinese GP, and the race in Hanoi to be squeezed back in.

The historic Monaco GP, set for May 24, could become F1’s biggest casualty, while there may also be no room for Bahrain and Spain.

There are also no plans for the Melbourne race to be rescheduled.

It was Hamilton’s Mercedes team who ended a pathetic silence from F1’s owners, Liberty Media and the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

Both will come in for some savage questioning over their handling of the debacle.

Same too for the squabble between F1 and the federal government over who should call the race off, with neither side willing to make the decision and forfeit or pay the host fee.

The problem was that they didn’t do anything for too long. It’s always down to the one who officially cancelled it in the end.

Bernie Ecclestone

Finally a decision was made but not before Mercedes made their position clear.

A statement said: “The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team sent a letter to the FIA and F1 requesting the cancellation of the Australian GP.

“We share the disappointment of the sport’s fans that this race cannot go ahead as planned.

“However, the physical and mental well-being of our team members and of the wider F1 community are our absolute priority.”

Ex-F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone slammed the handling of the crisis, that now leaves the sport facing an uncertain future.

He said: “The problem was that they didn’t do anything for too long. It’s always down to the one who officially cancelled it in the end.”

Vietnam’s inaugural race is among those called offCredit: Reuters

In the USA, IndyCar has suspended its season through the end of April.

However, NASCAR has only suspended Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway and next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Both events were already scheduled to be run without spectators.

Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk