If you’re the government trying to look like you're in charge, decisive and in-the-know, then having the event cancelled the morning after the Health Minister said it was on and about an hour after the Premier said it might be on, but without spectators, isn't great either.

The chaotic scenes outside the grand prix gates on Friday morning will look bad on TV at a time when you want people to keep calm and carry on.

The best that can be said of the whole thing is that it could have been worse; Formula 1 fans came together in the hundreds, not their thousands or tens of thousands.

But what happened? It looks like three outfits; the state government, federal government and the race organisers were all talking, but nobody made a decision until the health advice changed or the McLaren team forced the issue by pulling the pin on the race.

Nothing like that can be allowed to happen again. If sporting bodies or anybody else plays funny buggers with public gatherings in this state, then Premier Daniel Andrews needs to take decisions out of their hands.