Formula One and the FIA have revealed that there were 12 positive COVID-19 cases over the course of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Formula One and the FIA also noted that over 8,000 coronavirus tests were conducted ahead of and after the season-opener.
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“The FIA and Formula 1 can today confirm that at the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix, between Monday 22nd March and Sunday 28th March, 8,150 tests for COVID-19 were performed on drivers, teams and personnel.
“Of these, 12 people tested positive. The FIA and Formula 1 are providing this aggregated information from each grand prix for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency.”
It should be noted that, unlike last season, this year’s COVID-19 figures released by Formula One only include on-site tests and cases.
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Earlier this month, the government of Bahrain announced it would be offering all F1 personnel the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID-19 when they travel to the Kingdom for pre-season testing and the first grand prix of the 2021 season.
“Due to the timescale of this year’s Formula 1 event, including testing, the vast majority of participants will be present in Bahrain for a three-week period ahead of the race,” the Bahraini government said in a statement.
“This, in turn, allows a unique opportunity to provide additional protection for those who wish to take up the opportunity in the form of vaccination.
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It specified that it will be the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that will be made available to F1 personnel.
Most teams and drivers opted not to take up this offer, though some, including Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz, decided to get vaccinated against coronavirus in Bahrain.
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