Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has urged Formula 1 fans to pull together amid the coronavirus pandemic and admits the championship must take ღa backseat until th𝔉e crisis is resolved.

In an open letter, Wolff spoke o🌌f his disappointment to have seen the start of the 2020 season delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which forced the Australian Grand Prix being abandoned, as well as the next six races being shelved.

But the Austrian acknowledged that racing is “by no means essential” in the grand scheme of things and str💟essed Mercedes and F1 as a whole must to everything possible to keep its staff and wider public safe.

"Whether you support silver or red, pinꦬk or yellow, orange or blue – what unites us is our passion for racing,” Wolff wrote.

“So, the prospect of months without F1 just as the season was about to start, after months of hard work to be rea♒dy for the new campaign – 🧔that prospect might be disappointing.

“We must also realise, that racing is entertainment. We take it very seriously, because we love it. But in the grand scheme of things, itꦫ is by no m🗹eans essential.

“The he🌳alth and wellbeing𒆙 of our fans, our team members and society in general, however, is.