F1 drivers have been told they won't be able to compete in the Australian Grand Prix unless they've been vaccinated against Covid-19 - as organisers seek to avoid the chaos caused by the recent Novak Djokovic saga.
The race in Melbourne has been absent from the calendar in the past two seasons due to the impact of the virus, but will return in 2022.
Traditionally the first Grand Prix of the season, drivers will instead head to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in March before returning down under on the second weekend in April.
The controversy surrounding Djokovic proved divisive in Australia, with the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, originally making it clear the state's strict vaccination rules would not be eased for this month's Australian Open.
However, Djokovic was granted a medical exemption by tournament organisers on the basis he'd contracted Covid within the past six months - only to be detained by border force officials upon his arrival at Melbourne Airport.
He won a subsequent appeal against being deported, only for immigration minister Alex Hawke to revoke his visa a second time, and after a further legal big failed, the Serbian eventually flew home last Sunday.
Keen to avoid a repeat of the issue, which overshadowed the build-up to the first tennis Grand Slam of the year, Grand Prix officials have made it clear to F1 teams and drivers that they will not be allowed to compete if they are not jabbed.
"The rules are simple to get into the country and the rules are simple to operate in Formula One," race chief executive Andrew Westacott was quoted as saying by Sportsmail.
"To come into the event you'll be 100% 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."
In what appeared a dig at the dubious exemption handed to world no 1 Djokovic, Westacott added "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."
All drivers however, have reportedly received the vaccine.
