IT’S AUSSIE RULES

Jabs are priority for Melbourne race

LEWIS HAMILTON and his fellow drivers have been told they will not take part in the Australian Grand Prix if they are not vaccinated against Covid.

Race organisers will take a firm stance to avoid a repeat of the furore involving tennis world No.1 Novak Djokovic, who was deported ahead of the Australian Open for not being jabbed.

Australian Grand Prix chief executive Andrew Westacott has said that rules for the event on April 8 have been made clear – that racers and staff will

all need to fully jabbed. “The rules are simple to get into the country and the rules are simple to operate in Formula One, ”Westacott said.

“To come into the event you’ll be 100 percent vaccinated and there won’t be an exemption sought for anyone from anyone.

“Our arrangements have been in place well before the recent goings-on at the Australian Open.

“These rules are understood by Formula One, they’re understood by the FIA, they’re going to be written into the

sporting regulations and I’m very confident that it is just going to be a rite of passage to come into the country.

“There’s zero tolerance. Whether you’re Lewis Hamilton or Valentino Rossi in MotoGP – if you test positive, you don’t race that weekend.”

Hamilton is understood to be fully vaccinated against Covid and has repeatedly urged fans to get jabbed.

F1 chiefs have already said everyone will need to be vaccinated to take part in events. “There are many issues to discuss with the teams,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said earlier this month. “We will have the problem of Covid to manage again next year and it will not be easy.

“But it is no coincidence that one of the last things approved at the last FIA World Council, as a precaution, is to have all F1 staff vaccinated to be in the paddock.”