Emre Aşıkçı
12 March 2020•Update: 12 March 2020
ANKARA
McLaren Racing announced Thursday that it withdrew from the Australian Grand Prix of 2020 Formula 1 after a team member was tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The member contracted COVID-19 was self-isolated immediately after showing symptoms and will be treated by local healthcare authorities, said the team.
"The team has prepared for this eventuality and has ongoing support in place for its employee who will now enter a period of quarantine. The team is cooperating with the relevant local authorities to assist their investigations and analysis."
It also added that the taken decision by McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Andreas Seidl, team principal of McLaren F1 and shared with Formula 1 fans and wider F1 stakeholders.
The coronavirus outbreak caused many international sports events to be canceled or rescheduled while some were announced to be held behind closed doors as the virus continues to threaten global health.
The 2020 Chinese Grand Prix, originally scheduled for April 17-19, was postponed to an unknown future date.
Coronavirus, which was declared pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), originated in China last December, and has currently reached at least 118 countries and territories.
The global death toll from the virus has surpassed 4,600, with almost 125,000 confirmed cases, according to the WHO.
