Formula 1 decided to start the 2021 season directly in Bahrain, jumping out the traditional first Grand Prix that usually takes place in Australia. This decision put Bahrain under a spotlight, as many teams presented their single-seaters directly there and the pre-seasonal tests, which usually happen in Spain will be there as well. The Country has to prevent a great spread of the Coronavirus, so it decided to offer COVID’s vaccine to all the staff members of the F1 teams.

Whether the most popular – and official – answer was a “no thanks”, because everyone decided to respect their own Countries priorities and not to jump the queues, many individuals have accepted Bahrain’s offer and got the vaccine done.

Scuderia Ferrari has the largest number of these members, even if the Prancing Horse has not released a statement on the matter.  The Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that on Wednesday the 90% of the staff travelling to Bahrain had accepted the offer of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on arrival, after be assured that Italy’s health authorities raised no objections. It is reported that Carlos Sainz will take it too.

Andiamo, @Charles_Leclerc 💪 https://t.co/PRajqoShbf

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 10, 2021

However, Mercedes is reported to have members of its team who accepted the vaccine too, and the team stayed neutral on the decision, which has to be considered only by the people concerned. “It is a personal decision who would like to be vaccinated and who would not and not a decision that we make as a team, in one direction or the other,” Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ team principal who has had the virus, stated.

“We need to be prudent and see and respect what is the situation with the more vulnerable people and we don’t want to be seen as the ones taking away for sure,” Liberty Media CEO Stefano Domenicali said, reminding to reporters that by now the highest priority is to protect the most vulnerable part of the Paddock of F1.

It is relevant to consider that Italy has counted more than 100,000 deaths linked to COVID-19 since February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain. Nevertheless the Country’s vaccination campaign has started slowly, with the Government who seems unable to provide for more vaccines and to promote a more efficient campaign and to induce a lockdown, being too afraid of people’s rioting, leaving this way Italy as an easy prey for the Coronavirus’ pandemics and its variations.

In the meanwhile, Liberty Media can quote the Queens saying “The Show must go on”, and the pre-seasonal tests are ready to let the 2021 season begin.

https://www.motorlat.com/notas/f1/19176/f1-scuderia-ferrari-reveals-the-sf21