Update: The 2020 F1 Australian GP has been cancelled

Formula 1෴ fans have been barred from entering the Albert Park circuit amid uncertainty and confusion over whether the Australian Grand Pri﷽x will go ahead.

Fans were not allowed into the Melbourne venue when the gates were due to open at 0845am local time and it was later confirmed by Victoria premier Daniel Andrews that they꧋ will be banned from the race - if it does go ahead - following new advice from Victoria’s ꦅchief health officer.

The Australian Grand Prix is expected to be called off after McLaren announced it had withdrawn from the season-opener after one of its team members tﷺested positive for coronavirus.

“The chief health offic𒆙er updated his advice and that’s been communicated to grand prix organisers,” Andrews said.

“No🦂w they are making the choice between no event or an event without fans. But at the very least, there will be no fans at the grand prix this weekend.”

While race organisers have stressed Friday’s running is set to go ahead as planned - with opening practice scheduled to take place at 1200 local time - there has been no official ജcomment from F1 or the FIA.

It followed a team meeting on Thursday night with a vote on whether to race ending in a 5-5 tie. F1 needs at least 1ꦗ2 cars to p🌃articipate for a world championship round to go ahead.

Red Bull, AlphaTauri, Alf🍃a Romeo, Racing Point and Williams were the only teams to turn up at the paddock gates when the curfew ended, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen already understood to have flown home.

Other teams who do not wish to participate are in the process of arranging flights o𓆏ut of Melbourne on Friday.

An update from the FIA on 💃the developing situation is expected soon. 

- Punters 𓃲at the Australian Grand Prix have been told “gate opening has been delayed” while the event works through “programming and scheduling” co♍ncerns.

— Brianna Travers (@briannatravers)