Formula 1 will make it mandatory for all people working in the paddock to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, without exemption, starting this season, a spokesperson for the series said on Monday.
The requirement, which was first reported by the Times and the BBC, will apply to anyone entering the paddock – an exclusive area in which teams and drivers settle for a race weekend.
“F1 will require everyone to be fully vaccinated and will not ask for exemptions,” the spokesman said.
This will include all competing drivers, hospitality staff, the press, the FIA, commercial rights holders and even famous guests.
The requirement was approved at a December meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
The news of the Formula 1 vaccine passport comes after the controversy over tennis player Novak Djokovic and the Australian Open.
The world number one was detained by immigration authorities on 6 January, released by a court on 10 January, then detained again before being forced to leave Australia following a final court ruling that upheld the government’s decision to cancel your visa.
The new rules question the future of longtime driver Alan van der Merwe.
The South African, who played a key role in rescuing Romain Grosjean from a crash at the 2020 Bahrain GP, chose not to be vaccinated for personal reasons.
The FIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the vaccination requirement or Van der Merwe’s future.
Formula 1 is set for a record 23-race calendar this year, with races such as Singapore, Japan, Canada and Australia, which were canceled in the past two years, set to return.
The sport has successfully run two seasons amid the pandemic, adopting a bubble system and regular testing.
The 2022 season, which will feature all new cars designed for a radical overhaul of the series’ rules, starts in Bahrain on March 20.
Remember images from the last GP of São Paulo
Source: CNN Brasil
