Motorsports governing body FIA was not convinced Ferrari F1's engine "was always legal" in '19, "but did not take further action because of the difficulty of proving it." FIA explained its stance in a statement responding to seven teams expressing their "strong objection" to the confidential settlement. FIA "decided further action would not necessarily result in a conclusive case." The organization "insisted in its response that it had acted within its rules," both in deciding to settle the matter and in keeping the terms of that agreement confidential (BBC, 3/5).
Meanwhile, next week’s Australian F1 GP "will be postponed or cancelled" if Ferrari is "denied entry into the country due to the coronavirus." The Australian government confirmed on Thursday it will introduce "enhanced screening" for travelers from Italy to "help deal with the spread of the virus." The majority of Ferrari’s squad of mechanics and support staff will be arriving in Melbourne from Italy. If Ferrari is "blocked from arriving in Australia," it would force the race at Albert Park to be "abandoned, postponed or drastically altered" (AAP, 3/5). Australian GP CEO Andrew Westacott "has been optimistic" that until a travel ban on Italy is imposed, there is "no reason Ferrari and its army of mechanics would not be in Melbourne" (THE AGE, 3/5).
