Formula 1 to Mandate COVID-19 Jabs for All Personnel for 2022 Race Calendar

Formula 1 will make COVID-19 jabs compulsory for all personnel this upcoming season.

In addition to a fully vaccinated requirement, the sport will follow the COVID policies of each national government of the countries it visits.

The FIA will consider individual exemptions on a case-by-case basis, but the individual in question must undergo a more rigorous testing regime than fully vaccinated people.

Natural immunity will not qualify as an exemption to the COVID-19 jab requirement.

A spokesman for F1 stated on Monday, “F1 (FOM) will require all travelling personnel to be fully vaxxed and will not request exemptions.”

F1 has competed with strict protocols the past two seasons and plans to embark on a record 23-race calendar this season.

https://twitter.com/DrHoenderkamp/status/1488157728686104578

F1 has agreed to make Covid-19 vaccines compulsory for all paddock staff for the new season.

All 20 drivers are understood to have already got their jabs.https://t.co/anB7leUIR9

— Standard Sport (@standardsport) January 31, 2022

BBC Sport noted:

It is not expected to have an impact on any of the drivers’ ability to compete as all are understood to be vaccinated.

Double vaccination was a requirement of entry to the USA for last year’s US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

The plan for all personnel to be vaccinated was agreed at last month’s meeting of the world council of governing body the FIA but there has been a delay in communicating it.

Evening Standard added:

As a result of the stipulation of fully vaccinated personnel throughout the paddock, testing requirements are expected to be reduced at the 23-race calendar in 2022, which begins in Bahrain next month.