Franz Tost says living in Italy "is really scary" right now

Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost says that living in Italy right now is strange, comparing it to a ghost town. Italy is on complete lockdown to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, with the country one of the worst affected.

Just last week the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled as the virus became a more serious issue, with subsequent events in Bahrain and Vietnam also postponed.

Alpha Tauri were perhaps lucky to even get to Australia in the first place, given the team's base in Italy, but Tost says everyone in the team is healthy.

He told SpeedWeek.com: "Everyone in the racing team is healthy. Fortunately, we have never had an infection.

"When I drove from Rome to Faenza for a good two hours, I met maybe twenty cars along the way! The highway was empty. You don't see anyone on the street here either, the whole life takes place in the people's home. We have a curfew, and you can only avoid it if you go grocery shopping or to the pharmacy or doctor or to work.

"You look out of the window on the street and there is no human soul to be discovered. We are used to that people in Italy like to stay on vacation, Italians are sociable people anyway. It is ghostly."