"It's shocking that we're all sitting in this room. So many fans[are] already[here] today. It seems like the rest of the world is reacting probably a little bit late[to the virus] yet Formula One continues to go on,"Hamilton said.
"It's a concern for the people here. It's quite a big circus that is coming. It's definitely concerning for me."
Two of his world champion colleagues,Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen,took matters into their own hands,opting to leave Melbourne before any decision on the race had been taken.
The paddock and pit lane area represented an eerie sight on Friday morning,the time that the F1 cars were due to roll for the first time this season in a practice session ahead of the weekend's race.
It was as if the whole sport was in suspended animation as team personnel,mechanics and staff waited to see if the race would go ahead - initially without fans - or whether they should begin packing up their tonnes of expensive equipment.
This has been a sorry saga,which has dragged on for a fortnight,as questions over the wisdom of hosting the event began to be asked as soon as the number of coronavirus cases began to soar in Italy,home of the Ferrari and the Alpha Tauri F1 teams,as well as personnel from tyre supplier Pirelli.
Questions began to be asked when exemptions were initially made for team personnel from Italy to travel to Australia while critics also sought clarification on whether behind the scenes lobbying of the Federal government had taken place to allow the event to go on. The GP Corporation has consistently said that it was acting on guidelines from health officials.
In a small,close-knit world such as F1,where teams,drivers and officials live cheek by jowl as they travel the world for some 20 races a season,the chances of the infection taking hold and spreading are very high.
Now that the circus has belatedly folded its tents the arguments and recriminations will begin,with questions sure to be asked about the government's multimillion dollar investment in the event and what will happen to that money.
Plenty will share Hamilton's view and wonder whether cash was indeed king,right up to the last moment when public health concerns became simply too great to ignore.