F1 Gossip: Drivers get vaccination warning after Djokovic saga

In the latest gossip, drivers given vaccination warning for Australian GP, Red Arrows set to fly at British GP, and Andretti “not giving up” on F1 entry.

Lewis Larkam

24 Jan 2022

F1 Gossip: Drivers get vaccination warning after Djokovic saga

- F1 drivers have been told they must be vaccinated in order to compete in this year’s Australian Grand Prix (The Daily Mail)

Race boss Andrew Westacott has warned there “won’t be an exemption” for any driver following a recent 10-day stand-off saga involving Novak Djokovic, who was deported from Australia after losing his fight to stay to defend his Australian Open title.

- Silverstone has denied speculation that the traditional pre-race flypast by the Red Arrows at the British Grand Prix will not go ahead this year after F1 moved to outlaw military aviation displays prior to races (RaceFans)

- Michael Andretti is “not giving up” on his attempts to secure an F1 team entry despite failing to buy a majority stake in the Sauber-run Alfa Romeo team, according to his father Mario (RacingNews365.com)

- F1 has gone through a “rule-busting phase” to try and prevent teams from exploiting potential loopholes with the new regulations for the upcoming 2022 season (The New York Times, via AutoBild)

- Colombian president Ivan Duque says he supports the mayor of Barranquilla Jaime Pumarejo’s dreams of building a new FIA grade one circuit to host F1 in the future (El Tiempo, via Gazzetta dello Sport)

- 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve reckons Lewis Hamilton’s ongoing silence is a sign that he is distancing himself from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff (MotorsportWeek)

- Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes Carlos Sainz showed during the 2021 F1 season that Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc “is probably not the prodigy that many thought he was” (AS)