McLaren driver Carlos Sainz has confirmed that he's among the team personnel to opt for voluntary isolation as a precaution for exposure to the coronavirus.
One of the McLaren track personnel working at Albert Park tested positive for COVID-19 last week, leading to the team deciding to unilaterally pull out of the Australian Grand Prix.
The event was subsequently cancelled at the last minute and the start of the 2020 indefinitely postponed. More McLaren team personnel were placed in quarantine in Melbourne, while others opted for self-isolation upon return to Europe.
Now back in Spain, Sainz revealed on Twitter that he is among the latter group, but stressed that he was actually feeling fine in himself - albeit just a bit bored.
"At the moment I feel perfectly fine," he told fans through the social media site. "But as you are aware that doesn't necessarily mean that I am not infected or that I can't develop the symptoms going forward.
"For the sake of everybody, it is very important to be responsible and follow the guidelines of the experts."
While acknowledging that the isolation is a wise precaution, Sainz added that the voluntary measure was more of an inconvenience than a health concern for him.
"It's been a busy few days trying to organise my life since then," he said. "Obviously, I'm a bit bored. I mean, I guess everyone who's doing this quarantine is a bit bored!
"But at the same time I am trying to do some sport," he added.
"I'm trying to keep myself busy and do the kind of things that I would never do because of so much travelling."
At least Sainz gets to serve out his solitary sentence at home, rather than stuck on the other side of the world in a Melbourne hotel room.
💪🏼 Be responsible and stay positive these days!#StayAtHome https://t.co/YRlgN7j92B
I also wanted to send positive vibes to @McLarenF1 team & all the members that stayed in quarantine. pic.twitter.com/zDWcXDC6Lt
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) March 17, 2020
"I just wanted to send a message to all the mechanics, people that stayed there in Australia," he said. "Sending them some good vibes, sending them a lot of positivity, sending them a big hug.
"I'm sure we're all gonna leave this quarantine as soon as possible," he added. "And as soon as we're done, we will get back to business. And as soon as this virus is over, we will go back racing.
"I cannot wait to be honest," he admitted. "I miss racing, I miss travelling around the world with my team.
"But in the end, you know, this is something that will pass, something that we need to get over as soon as possible. And for that, better stay home, better stay in quarantine and don't do much."
His team mate Lando Norris has been somewhat more fortunate, and spend the rest of the suddenly-free Australian race weekend taking on fans and top ESports drivers in a 'Not the Aus GP' virtual race on Sunday.
Team principal Andreas Seidl and racing director Andrea Stella also didn't face any isolation period, although they opted to stay in Melbourne in support of the personnel laid up in the immediate aftermath of the coronavirus testing.
The original McLaren team member to test positive is reported to have recovered well and no longer showing any symptoms of the respiratory illness.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown said that all those still in quarantine in Australia "are in good spirits".
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