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Safety first as Formula One braces for impact of coronavirus

Motorsport schedules are in disarray as the virus spreads but Lando Norris tells Jack de Menezes that the drivers are more than aware that there are far more important things than their sport

Wednesday 04 March 2020 17:32 GMT
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Lando Norris is aware of the bigger picture beyond F1
Lando Norris is aware of the bigger picture beyond F1

Lando Norris believes any decision to cancel the opening Formula One races of the season over the coronavirus outbreak would be a “shame”, but stressed that it would be the right thing to do for public safety.

The McLaren driver is preparing for his second season in F1 not knowing which races will actually take place in 2020, with the Chinese Grand Prix already indefinitely postponed due the outbreak and both the Bahrain and Vietnam events at risk due to travel restrictions.

“If it does get cancelled it’s a shame but the only reason it would ever get cancelled is for safety and the precautions which come first over everything else,” Norris told The Independent. “I don’t think it is in F1’s hands, the governments are deciding and so on, and it’s for the best safety for people living there or for us and for everyone, and that all overrides Formula One, so therefore it’s not our choice.”

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