Race Weekend Central

McLaren Withdraws from Formula 1 Season Opener After Positive Coronavirus Test

McLaren will not compete in the season-opening Formula 1 race, the Australian Grand Prix, after one of its team members tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Thursday, March 12.

“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 said in a release.

The release did not indicate which team member had tested positive for the virus, which has caused cancellations of multiple events across the globe, as well as the suspension of the 2019-2020 NBA season.

Four team members from the Haas F1 Team were also tested for the virus after displaying symptoms, but their tests came back negative.

As of press time, McLaren is the only team to withdraw from this weekend’s race in Australia.

Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris are McLaren’s drivers in the series for 2020.

About the author

Rutherford is the managing editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2015 after serving on the editing staff for two years. At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.

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