Lewis Hamilton explains ‘personal choice’ to continue wearing face mask after contracting Covid twice

Hamilton has reverted back to weating a face mask in the paddock as he revealed people around him are ‘getting sick’ with Covid

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Lewis Hamilton has explained his reasoning behind reverting back to wearing a face mask in the paddock with people around him “getting sick” again with Covid-19.

The Mercedes star has contracted the virus twice, missing the Sakhir Grand Prix in 2020 as a result of a positive test, with current team-mate George Russell deputising for him in Bahrain.

While mask-wearing in the paddock was mandatory in 2020 and throughout large periods of 2021, those rules have been relaxed in 2022 but many have noticed that 37-year-old Hamilton has reverted back to wearing a face covering in recent weeks.

Speaking after last week’s Austrian Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion explained it was a “personal choice”, adding that he “definitely doesn’t want to get sick again.”

“No, this is a personal choice,” Hamilton said.

“I just noticed a lot of people around me are getting sick and I definitely don’t want to get sick again. I’ve already experienced it twice. A lot of my friends have messaged me that they have Covid and some are much worse than others.

“Nobody’s wearing a mask so I’m definitely wearing mine. I urge people to do what they want to do – it’s your health at the end of the day but I want to go home healthy. I want to be able to get up and train and do the things I love doing and I try, if I can, to keep the people I love around me safe when I can when I’m around them.”

Sebastian Vettel missed the first two races of the 2022 season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia after contracting the virus, while an increase in infection rates across Europe in recent weeks has added to Hamilton’s concern.

F1 heads to Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France this week for the French Grand Prix, the penutlimate race before the summer break with Hungary hosting next week’s race.