Bottas and Leclerc justify their exit from the F1 bubble

We are not kidding with the Covid-19 Code of Conduct put in place by the FIA. Valtteri Bottas, brilliant winner of the Austrian Grand Prix last Sunday, and his runner-up Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) will perhaps learn it the hard way.

The two men in fact left their health bubble to return to their homes for a few days, before meeting up with Spielberg for the Styrian Grand Prix this weekend. 

Tiffany Crowell, Bottas' companion, shared on social networks a photo of herself from Saint-Honorat Island located off the coast of Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes) mentioning that she was celebrating her birthday with the Finn. 

Leclerc, for his part, was photographed with fans and friends, without a mask, in Monte Carlo. The Covid-19 Code of Conduct, included in the annex to the International Sporting Code, stipulates that all persons present within the grounds of the Red Bull Ring must stay with the people in their bubble outside the circuit.

« I inquired if it was possible to come home and it was., Bottas defended. It makes no difference if I stay with the same people. I wanted to spend these 3 days at home and recharge the batteries before this weekend ». 

Leclerc, for his part, explained that he had undergone an additional screening test before re-entering the bubble F1. 

This double escapade is clearly not to the taste of the FIA, which had already reprimanded Sebastian Vettel for visiting his former Red Bull team in the Austrian paddock last week. 

At the time of writing, only Leclerc has been the subject of a written reprimand because there is no formal proof that Bottas came into close contact with anyone outside his bubble. 

In the event of the next violation of the Covid-19 Code of Conduct, offenders risk being brought before the sports commissioners.