Yesterday's update from the Vietnam Tourist Board warning that "all travellers entering Vietnam from China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran must carry out medical declarations and 14-day medical quarantine before entering the country", has left a major question mark over Ferrari and AlphaTauri.

With both teams based in Italy, the new move in Vietnam would suggest that neither would be able to participate. Furthermore, while Pirelli's tyres are produced in Turkey and Romania, the company is headquartered in Milan, while Ferrari supplies power units and personnel to Haas and Alfa Romeo.

In a worst case scenario, were Ferrari and AlphaTauri unable to contest the Vietnam race, it could still go ahead as company documents state that F1 "must attempt to procure that at least 16 cars participate in the World Championship".

However, AlphaTauri team boss, Franz Tost, believes it would be unfair if teams were to miss races - and thereby points and prize money - due to circumstances beyond their control.

"If some teams can't run for whatever reason, and I have not thought about this and also I'm not a decision maker, but then I think it would be unfair to start the season," he said. "This is a big disadvantage for whoever it is."

F1 bosses are already struggling to find an alternative slot for the postponed Chinese Grand Prix, and with the prospect of further races being postponed Tost believes the situation could be resolved by scrapping the summer break or extending the season into December.

"I'm optimistic that we will have the 22 races because in November and December we have a lot of time where we can do races, and also August," he said.

However, at a time Ferrari is already warning that should it be as uncompetitive as it fears it might be it would switch focus to 2021, extending the season into December would surely compromise teams' programme for a year which will witness the sport's biggest overhaul in living memory.

Indeed, there are already rumblings that the 2021 overhaul should be postponed for a further year.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by elsiebc, 03/03/2020 16:16

"What if the traveling members of the team don't return to Italy so that they have not been in an affected country for over two weeks? Yes, it is clear he "has not thought about this".
"

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2. Posted by klmn, 03/03/2020 9:42

"Life is not fair , deal with it."

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3. Posted by kenji, 03/03/2020 9:09

"'If teams cannot race, and i have not thought about this' then Tost goes on to give an opinion!!! Can't have it both ways besides, his comment saying it's 'not fair' is quite silly. The fact is, that it is a 'force majeure' incident ATM and he, amongst others, are 'unlucky' to be associated with infected countries. So for that fact alone he says that all the fans and the other teams should be denied any racing!!! Give me a break. "

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4. Posted by Fambank, 03/03/2020 9:01

"@Steve W

Ow, I read no-point race."

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5. Posted by Steve W, 03/03/2020 8:59

"If not all the teams are able to participate, then just make it a non-points race."

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"Unfair" to race without full grid, warns Tost

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