F1 News

Vettel on coronavirus: “We can largely control our own situation”

12 March 2020 at 17:06
  • Bevan Youl

Sebastian Vettel has said that he and other drivers are in a “lucky situation” that despite being exposed to people they can “largely control” their own situation to avoid chance of catching coronavirus.

Covid-19 has had an impact around the world with many sports postponing or suspending events due to the outbreak.
 
Formula 1 has already seen the postponement of the Chinese Grand Prix, while the race in Bahrain is set to take place behind closed doors without any spectators.
 
The Australia GP is also set to be either postponed or cancelled according to sources but no official announcement from the FIA or F1 has been made yet.
 
This comes after McLaren announced their withdrawal from the event due to a team member testing positive for coronavirus.
 
Before the recent news broke Ferrari driver Vettel said regarding the first few races: “Well, one way or the other, I think you expect and you hope that we take the right decision, or the sensible decision.
 
“So, if that's the case then there's probably reason for it. If it's not the case then you rely on the fact that maybe there's not enough reason for it.
 
“As I said, I don't think I'm the one to judge, and I think, to be completely straight, we are probably in a lucky situation, as in, obviously we are exposed to people, and so on, but I think we can largely control our own situation.
 
“What I mean is, you try to control the situation for yourself first, as much as you can. That's selfish but I think everybody in this regard is selfish.
 
“You see some people being more relaxed about handshakes, others less. Now some laugh it off, some take it very serious.”
 
The German added that the drivers, despite concerns, put their trust in external factors to get them to Australia safely.
 
“I think, as I said before, my stand on it is that it's very difficult at the moment to really categorise and say that it is great, I don't know, serious, or not serious - but that's why you have to ultimately put yourself into other people's hands and trust them,” he added.
 
“I think we all did getting down here.”