The big questions F1 faces after Australian GP cancellation chaos

"An unprecedented situation surely requires an unprecedented response."

That was the ending to this equivalent column - composed largely against a wall opposite the Princess Theatre in Melbourne's CBD district, incidentally, on Thursday night. And the 2020 Australian Grand Prix certainly, finally, got something unprecedented.

Formula 1 has never encountered anything like the coronavirus crisis before. The decision to cancel the Albert Park race just hours before its practice action got underway - after it had been decided spectators would be denied entry on public health grounds the day after a McLaren team member had tested positive for COVID-19 - was something else entirely.

The call felt like it had taken an eternity to arrive. And even when the only real appropriate solution had been put into action, it ultimately threw up some major questions and headaches for many in F1.

How on earth did F1 get here?

At least 1,500 people have paddock passes for each grand prix - and very few of them surely needed to be in Melbourne during the developing coronavirus saga. Yes, the situation felt - and certainly was - different last weekend when most paddock personnel travelled, or had travelled, to Australia.

There should rightly be a lot of soul searching in the coming days and weeks. Especially if, and this is only speculation and not guaranteed, there is a spike in coronavirus cases in Melbourne once the F1 circus has left town.

How much damage has F1 done to its reputation?

Simply put, a lot.

By not making this call days or even weeks ago, F1 has surely made a major misstep. Of course, huge amounts of money and prestige were on the line - but these things utterly pale into insignificance when compared with critical public healthcare situations.

F1 CEO Chase Carey stood before the assembled F1 and Melbourne media on Friday and said, amongst other things: "I think we've made the right decisions."

The championship did do the right thing - but far, far too late.

There is a real chance that history will judge the events that happened this weekend very harshly. Equally, it may be judged as an overreaction - but such things are ultimately a circle of results. You can't have a judgement without an action or inaction.

But clear leadership and responsibility was needed and it just wasn't forthcoming. No matter how you look at it, this was not a good series of events for F1.

Where does Liberty go from here?

For a start, it needs to confirm the expected cancellation of the Bahrain and Vietnam Grand Prix events as soon as possible.

As much as it will be disappointing not to have the wonderful distraction of sport for many weeks and probably months - should the season be put on hold until June's Baku race, as is predicted - there are much more important things right now. Basically, everyone pitching in to end a global pandemic - even in very small ways as individuals.

Surely F1's senior management staff will be, at the very least, asking themselves if their actions were the right ones to take this week. Some people are already calling for resignations - which isn't exactly unfair to at least consider for those of us on the outside.

Further explanations, clarifications - with total transparency - should be the minimum of what F1's owner does next.

Why were some teams willing to continue with the event while others were not?

One of the many fascinating political and human stories to emerge from this whole sorry saga, was the news that three teams - apparently Red Bull, AlphaTauri and Racing Point - were willing to continue with Friday's practice sessions unless more F1 team personnel tested positive. It has been suggested that at one stage Mercedes was also part of this group.

It would certainly be of use if those teams could provide full explanations for this. Not for anything in the way of recrimination, but just because it would be most intriguing to hear what their individual thought processes were at the time.

At the same time, for those squads that were not willing to take any further part in the weekend, it would also be good to hear exactly why they arrived at the decisions they did - some of which apparently resulted in Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen leaving Australia before the event had been officially cancelled. There's nothing to suggest any of this was untoward, however.

Ultimately, in these completely uncertain times, the more transparency, the better.

Why did the AGPC put out a statement early on Friday morning suggesting it would push on with the event

"The gates will open at 8.45am and track activity will commence as scheduled at 9.10am," read the statement released by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation early on Friday morning in Melbourne.

"Ancillary events, sponsor functions, the hospitality programme and all activations and fan engagement activities will commence as planned. The broader implications arising from the McLaren withdrawal are being discussed with the FIA and Formula 1 following lengthy discussions overnight."

Surely, this statement contributed to at least some turning up in Albert Park, where they were eventually effectively locked out once Victorian government health officials had decreed that the event would be closed to spectators.

There must have been a reason why this statement was issued, and it would be good if the AGPC - which did do sterling work in many areas throughout this week, it must be said - could explain this in full.

At the post-cancellation press conference, when asked about the delay in dealing with fans on Friday morning, AGCP chairman Paul Little, said: "We're very conscious of our responsibility to the fans.

"We knew that we're trying to get through the gate. We were still taking advice from the medical officers. And that was, you know, up until around nine o'clock-ish. I think we understood this concern was out there. But we really needed to speak to Formula 1 and FIA again this morning. We had [had] discussions through until about 2.30am this morning.

"We reinvigorated those discussions early this morning. And the final conclusion was reached when the press release went out. And our fans at the gates were told accordingly, so I don't think it would have been possible to do it any more quickly."

Were there any 'winners' from this week?

The word 'winners' is used entirely incorrectly in this instance, but it must be said that the McLaren team emerges with credit for the way it handled the news of the positive virus test, and for its decision to immediately withdraw from the event.

McLaren felt it had to take a lead - and it was right to do so. The team now has a further 14 personnel in quarantine and it has said "these individuals are being supported by senior team personnel, who will stay behind with them during the quarantine period" - another reason for respect to be given.

Lewis Hamilton also deserves credit for his outspoken words regarding the event reaching the point it did - with Raikkonen also questioning the situation. Not all drivers could or would do the same, but let's not judge them too harshly. These guys are the gladiators, not the emperors.

Away from the spotlight - many, many people working at the race were brilliantly professional and helpful. Melbourne is a wonderful global city, and it has shone even as a depressing and serious situation has developed within it.

When will 'normal' F1 return?

Ultimately, given the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic, this does not matter.

But maybe just for some respite from the relentlessness of life currently facing the world - it would be good to be able to soon get back to the 'normal' F1 stories that got completely overshadowed this week: Ferrari's 2019 engine settlement with the FIA, Mercedes' DAS system and the return of ever-changing driver helmets after the rule governing design freedom was canned.

All trivial compared to the fate of humanity, of course, but to motorsport fans, all still brilliant things at the same time.