Although it is no longer ma🍸ndatory to wear a mask in the F1 paddock, Hamilton was seen sporti♔ng one during press conference appearances and while in group settings at the last two races in Great Britain and Austria. 

The seven-time world champion, who was forced to miss the Sakhir Grand Prix after catching the virus in December 2020, rev💧ealed he has “experienced it twice", adding his return to mask-wearing was a “personal choice”. 

“I just noticed a lot of people around me are getting sick and definitely don't want to get sick again,” Hamilton explained. “I've already experienced it twice𒈔. 

“But just I notice a lot of people around m🌳e, a lot of my friends messaging me that they've got COVID and some of them are much worse th📖an others.” 

Hamilton’s usual race engineer Peter Bonnington was absent at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. With Bonnington working from home, Hamilton’s radio communications were led by his performance engineer Marcus Dudley.♐ 

Although he did not confirm whether Bonnington had missed the race due to catching COVID-19, Hamilton referenced his race engineer when explaining🤪 his thinking behind wearing a mask𓃲. 

“Obviously I didn't🦄 have Bono with me this weekend,” Hamilton added. 

“No one's wearing a mask so I'm definitely wearing my mask. I urge people to do what they wan🐬t to do and it's your health at the end of the day. 

“But I want to go home healthy. I want to be ꦕable to get up and train and do the things I love 🌱doing. 

“And I 𒁏try, if I can, to keep the people that I love around me also safe when I can, when I'm around them.” 

Earlier this season at the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton said he had felt “uncomfortable📖” during the drivers’ briefing in Melbourne after many in attendance opted against wearing masks. 

After experiencing fatigue and dizziness after last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Hamilton admitted: “I have been fighting all year with꧅ my health after what happened at the end of last year and it is still a battle. I had really big dizziness and everything got a bit blurry on the podium.”

“I haven’t spoken to anyone particularly about it but I think it is lingering. I remember the effects when I had it. The training 🏅has been different since tܫhen and the levels of fatigue you get are different and it’s a real challenge.”