Australian F1 race preperations underway despite coronavirus fears

Season opening Australian Grand Prix to go ahead as planned

SHOWS: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (MARCH 9, 2020) (AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION - Broadcasters: NO USE AUSTRALIA Digital: NO ACCESS AUSTRALIA .COM.AU INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY AUSTRALIA BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS / AUSTRALIA NVO CLIENTS / SMH.COM .AU / NEWS.COM AU) 1.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX CORPORATION CHIEF, ANDREW WESTACOTT, SAYING: "The freight is arriving in pit-lane.

The last of the 700 tonnes of freight has arrived.

That coincidentally was the two Italian teams, Alfa Tauri and Ferrari.

The Pirelli Tyres are already here having arrived earlier in 40-foot shipping containers.

The final personnel are leaving Milan, pretty much as we speak, going via Dubai and into Melbourne and it promises to be a fantastic week." 2.

WHITE FLASH 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX CORPORATION CHIEF, ANDREW WESTACOTT, SAYING: "Well, every country around the world is going to be having their own approach from a health point of view.

They're taking into local circumstances.

They take into account the epidemiology and the science behind this CO-VID-19 virus.

And what applies in Bahrain via the Crown Prince is different to what applies in China and different to what applies in Melbourne.

We are obviously very, very thankful to the federal governments approach to health and the border control and border force and what we've got is an opportunity to showcase Formula One and showcase Melbourne being the major events capital of the world and we're going to do so in a very, very safe and responsible manner this weekend." STORY: The season-opening Formula One race in Melbourne will proceed as planned this week and fans will be not be excluded because of coronavirus fears, Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief Andrew Westacott said on Monday (March 9).

The fourth round of the championship in Shanghai in April has been postponed, while organisers of the Bahrain Grand Prix said on Sunday (March 8) that their race would go ahead without spectators March 22.

Westacott, however, said there was no prospect at all of Australia following suit with Sunday's race at Albert Park, especially after a record crowd packed into Melbourne Cricket Ground for Sunday's Women's T20 World Cup final.

More than 107,000 people around the world have been infected by the virus and 3,600 have died, according to a Reuters tally of government announcements.

Several international sporting events have been affected.

Most Formula One teams are based in England but Ferrari and Honda-powered AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso) are located in Italy, which has seen a recent surge in coronavirus cases.

(Production: Jill Gralow)