‘All systems go’ for Australian GP but coronavirus fears hit Serie A and MotoGP

Australian Grand Prix organisers insist the opening round of the Formula One season will go ahead as scheduled.

The race is due to take place on March 15, with the majority of F1 personnel set to travel to Melbourne at the latter end of this week.

In a statement, Australian Grand Prix chief executive Andrew Westacott said: “We are all systems go.

“At this stage there is no indication of further travel bans, nor is there any indication that Formula One and the teams will not be arriving as usual.

“Formula One has again confirmed overnight that the Australian Grand Prix is going ahead.”

Monday’s Serie A match between Sampdoria and Hellas Verona in Genoa has been posponed following the spread of the virus in Italy.

Six Serie A matches were called off on the weekend, including Juventus’ meeting with Inter Milan, and the league has called an emergency assembly to discuss the impact the postponements are having on the fixture list.

The opening race of the MotoGP season, the Grand Prix of Qatar from March 6-8, has been cancelled due to travel restrictions imposed to limit the outbreak of coronavirus.

With immediate effect, passengers arriving in Doha on direct flights from Italy, or those having been in Italy in the last two weeks, will be taken into quarantine for 14 days.

The Moto2 and Moto3 classes will go ahead as the riders and teams were already in Qatar for the three-day official test at Losail International Circuit earlier this week.

Golf’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which gets under way on Thursday in Doha, is due to go ahead as scheduled.