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Lewis Hamilton was scathing during an F1 press conference.Credit:AAP

In that week,the number of cases around the world exploded,and the deaths multiplied,too. Other GPs and MotoGPs later in the calendar either were cancelled or put on hold. Other major sports around the world either sealed themselves in behind closed doors or scrapped their schedules altogether. Champions League soccer in Europe and NBA basketball in the US were two. These were not easy decisions. The theme was pre-emption.

Locally,the AFL and the NRL announced that they were making contingency plans for lockouts andCricket Australia cancelled a women’s tour of South Africa and shut the gates on a men’s one-day series against New Zealand starting Friday. Meantime,medical authorities began to caution against large gatherings. Some were flabbergasted by the motor racing authority’s intransigence.

Yet the grand prix corporation pressed on,almost belligerently. By the most extraordinary convenience,a ban on travellers from Italy did not come into force until the minute after the last of the Ferrari folk had arrived. AGPC chief exec Andrew Westacott declared that there was “not a chance” the race would be run behind closed doors,let alone scratched altogether.

State health minister Jenny Mikakos said that there had been not a single case of communal transmission. In the context of government action,around the world,it was tantamount to saying we will wait until it is too late. By now,what we had on our hands was officially a pandemic. The state government will be mortified to hear it,but it came across to the public as disregard for public health.

In the F1 paddock,everyone was antsy. Nine camp followers were sent off for coronavirus tests. Drivers and media were kept at a distance. Some intimated they wanted to go home. Overnight,McLaren did.

Yet from the responsible authorities,the attitude and language did not change. Reports emerged overnight Thursday that F1 had decided to bail out of the Melbourne race this year. Yet as late as 8am on Friday,local authorities said the race would proceed as planned,which meant queues began to form at Albert Park. It was a masterpiece of mismanagement. Instead of muffs,they had donned tin ears.

In mid-morning,the only possible and sensible decision was reached at last. The safety car was summoned,the chequered flag waved. We’ll give the state government and the AGPC credit for changing their minds. Standing by a delicate and difficult decision is hard enough,reversing it to make an even more difficult decision even harder. In the nick of time,common sense prevailed.

But in a sport that is all about fast reactions,split seconds and speed,the braking distance was far too long.

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