The Australian Grand Prix has been thrown into doubt amid the global outbreak of the coronavirus, which has seen McLaren pull out of the race.
The eight-time constructors winners pulled out of the race after discovering one of their team members had contracted Covid-19, casting doubt over whether the race should go ahead and forcing team principals to hold an emergency meeting.
Despite McLaren's decision to withdraw, the first race of the F1 2020 season is still set to go ahead, with conflicting reports on the FIA's stance.
With teams and their drivers trying to stay focused what occurs on the track, it seems it's going to be a tough task to stop Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton this season.
But while Ferrari have struggled to show they can match the Silver Arrows' pace in testing, Red Bull - armed with the ever-faster Max Verstappen - could prove to be a genuine challenger this season.
And what about the battle for the midfield positions? McLaren will be hoping to be close the gap to the top three, while Racing Point have built a car that has been likened to Mercedes' 2019 car and could spring a surprise.
As the teams gear up for the first race of the decade, largely going into the unknown, the action on the track could provide a welcome distraction from the coronavirus crisis elsewhere.
Scroll down for our comprehensive Australian Grand Prix preview...
Date and UK start time
The first practice session of the new season begins on Friday at 12 noon (1am GMT), meaning UK fans will need to stay up into the early hours to catch a glimpse of the action.
FP2 takes place at 4pm (5am GMT) on the same day before moving on the final practice session on Saturday. Qualifying is scheduled for 5pm local time (6am GMT).
And finally, if the race goes ahead, the organisers have pencilled in a 4.10pm start time (5.10am GMT).
TV channel and live stream
Those with a Sky Sports subscription will be able to watch every live race in the 2020 season.
Sky Sports subscribers can watch the entire race weekend live on the Sky Sports F1 channel.
If you don’t have Sky Sports, you can watch with a NOW TV Sky Sports Pass, which gives you exactly the same coverage without having to sign up for a contract.
NOW TV are also offering an F1 season ticket until March 31, which allows viewers to watch every race for a one-off £198 payment.
Betting tips (via Betfair Exchange)
Race winner
- Lewis Hamilton: 6/5
- Valtteri Bottas: 9/2
- Max Verstappen: 9/2
- Charles Leclerc: 9/1
- Sebastian Vettel: 17/2
Fastest lap
- Lewis Hamilton: 11/5
- Valtteri Bottas: 9/2
- Max Verstappen: 5/1
- Alex Albon: 6/1
- Sebastian Vettel: 7/1
Tickets
You can view all of the available tickets by visiting the F1 ticketing website.
Prediction
Race winner: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Surprisingly, the Briton hasn't won in Melbourne since 2015 and it's one of the tracks where he tends to struggle.
But Mercedes have stolen a march on their rivals with the revolutionary DAS steering system and their pace at testing in Barcelona was impressive.
It certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas disappear into the distance, with the latter winning this race last year. But Hamilton, gunning for a seventh world title, will surely lead from the front if that is the case.
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