GALLERY: The ghosts of the 2020 Australian Grand Prix

As the unprecedented events around the cancellation of the 2020 Australian Grand Prix rumble on, check out our gallery of the images that will no doubt haunt F1 for some time to come.

Why was the Australian Grand Prix cancelled?

The governing body of world motorsport, the FIA, along with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and F1, fronted the media on Friday morning to announce the race would be cancelled.

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The main reason for the cancellation is the fact that none of the teams wanted to race after the revelation that a McLaren team member was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Why did it take so long to cancel the Australian Grand Prix?

Rumblings around the potential for a cancellation started earlier in the week, despite repeated denials from organisers.

When eight F1 crew members from various teams were isolated with suspected COVID-19, it appears that teams started to take matters into their own hands, with at least two drivers - Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen - making plans to depart ahead of the event.

As the world reels from the impact of the rapidly spreading virus, the decision was largely taken out of FIA and F1 hands when the Victorian premier said if the race went ahead there would be no spectators.

F1 head Chase Carey admitted that the rapidly escalating nature of the pandemic had caught them unawares.

"There were events that evolved, situations that changed, we made [a] decision which given the lead time to come here, [to] hold the event at a point in time where major events were being held here," he told assembled media outside the paddock at Albert Park.

"It was a different situation in the world. As the situation changed day to day and in some ways hour to hour in some ways we continued to evaluate that and made the appropriate decision going forward.

"I do think we were trying to digest a lot of different information and make the right decision at the right time and I think we did that."

What happens now for the Australian Grand Prix?

Tickets will be fully refunded, according to organisers, but 12,000 casual workers at the venue will lose out, as will the 600-odd suppliers of catering and other services to the event.

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As well, patrons who booked accommodation and flights will be left to make their own arrangements with travel agencies and insurers.

Can I get a refund for my Australian Grand Prix ticket?

Info courtesy of grandprix.com.au

Ticket purchasers are advised of the following information to help get your money back to you as soon as possible.

If you purchased tickets online through the Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix’s official ticketing agent, Ticketmaster, you will receive a refund back to the original credit card you used.

If you purchased tickets from a Ticketmaster outlet using cash or EFTPOS, you will need to visit a Ticketmaster outlet when advised with the EFTPOS card used (if applicable) to refund the booking. Ticketmaster outlet staff will assist with your refund.

If you purchased tickets through a travel agent or on-seller, please contact them directly to process your refund.

If you have purchased Hospitality tickets through Ticketmaster, you will receive a refund back to the original credit card you used.

Please note, for patrons who purchased single-day tickets for Thursday, and/or any upgrade packages for Thursday, no refunds will be made, as the event was operational on Thursday 12 March 2020.

Will the Australian Grand Prix run in 2020?

While the organisers have left the door open for a race this year, it's highly unlikely that the temporary structure in Albert Park will be rebuilt again during the year.

The 2020 AGP joins the Shanghai and Vietnamese GPs on the sidelines for 2020... and the season hasn't even started.

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