Reuters
Formula One F1 – United States Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, U.S. – October 24, 2021 General view of the fans in the grandstand as Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton drives past during the race Pool via REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Reuters
Formula One F1 – United States Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, U.S. – October 24, 2021 General view of the fans in the grandstand as Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton drives past during the race Pool via REUTERS/Brian Snyder
The last couple of seasons have been quite exhausting for Formula One as the pandemic wreaked havoc over the world. Travel restrictions came in, and a handful of countries backed out of the F1 racing calendar citing the spurt in the number of cases.
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Of course, sometimes, the pandemic looked like a blessing in disguise as numerous circuits including Qatar, Istanbul, Portimao, Imola, and Mugello, made their way onto the calendar, triggering a hike in viewership.
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Formula One F1 – Qatar Grand Prix – Losail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar – November 21, 2021 McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso during the drivers parade REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
But, most of the time, it was absolute chaos for F1, as a lot of well-known circuits backed out at almost the last minute, leaving the sport’s think-tank scrambling for ways to fill the void on the calendar. Apart from that, there was also the occasional fear of mass virus spread after a driver or an engineer tested positive.
Hence, after the prolonged anxiety, F1 is finally set to break out of the bubble from the start of the 2022 season.
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F1 imposes mandatory vaccination for members in the paddock
Weeks after the Australian GP organizers demanded that all of the F1 members must offer complete vaccination proof in order to enter the track, F1 has now made the move that not only applies to Melbourne but all the racing destinations.
According to Auto Motor Und Sport, the entire paddock must own the proof of vaccination before taking part in the season-opener, the Bahrain Grand Prix. It doesn’t just apply to F1 members working within the team or the community, but also VIP guests, media representatives, the FIA, and external partners.
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Formula One F1 – Brazilian Grand Prix – Jose Carlos Pace Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil – November 13, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton acknowledges fans after finishing first place in sprint qualifying Pool via REUTERS/Lars Baron
As of now, all 20 drivers have received the vaccination after the United States, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia made it mandatory last year. And the only driver yet to receive the vaccination is the medical car driver, Alan van der Merwe.
So, with F1 looking to push one final time in a bid to end their battle against the pandemic, will the drivers finally heave a sigh of relief amid a potential lift in restrictions?
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