Tasmanian driver Alex Peroni on life in the Formula One bubble as he resumes racing in F3s

Hobart motor racing hot-shot Alex Peroni returned to Spain to see the damage COVID-19 had done to his European home base. Now he’s part of the Formula One’s social lockdown.

Tasmanian F3 driver Alex Peroni on the podium after finishing third in Austria in the sport's reboot following the coronavirus shutdown. Picture: DUTCH PHOTO AGENCY

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LIFE in the Formula One bubble has been an eye-opener for Tasmanian hot-shot Alex Peroni since he returned to Europe to race in the 2020 FIA Formula 3 championship.

Speaking to the Mercury from Austria, Peroni, 20, of Hobart, said coronavirus measures were strict as F1 officials try to avoid another season shutdown.

The F3 championship is run in conjunction with the F1 world championship _ appearing at nine F1 rounds kicking off at Austria last weekend.

SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA – JULY 03: Alex Peroni of Australia and Team Campos (29) drives on track during practice for the Formula 3 Championship at Red Bull Ring on July 03, 2020 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

It continues with round two, also in Austria this weekend, before moving to Hungary.

Peroni scored his first F3 podium finish in the opening race of the season on Saturday, which was also his first race since the spectacular airborne crash in Italy in September that put him in hospital and ended his maiden F3 season early.

Joining the Formula One roadshow comes with extra responsibilities due to COVID-19, which shut down the Melbourne Grand Prix, and forced the cancellation or rescheduling of Monaco, France, Dutch, Baku, Singapore, Japan, Bahrain, Vietnam, Shanghai and Canadian GPs.

“We’re not allowed to go into ‘society’,” Peroni said.

“We have to stay at the track or at the hotel.

“It’s not a lockdown, it’s what we are all doing to keep racing going.

“We’re allowed to go outside to exercise or walk around but not to go to restaurants or bars or things like that.

“We’re here all week until Monday when we go to Budapest.”

Peroni is based in Valencia, Spain, where he races for Team Campos.

He returned to Spain from Hobart on June 5.

“You could tell that it did hit Spain hard,” Peroni said.

“Walking around the streets and seeing how people were _ going into the supermarket one at a time, social distancing, face masks _ it was easy to see how tough it has been.

“But the team was all good.

“Everyone was working at the workshop exactly as they were when I left, and everyone was keen for the [opening] race, so it was good to come back to that.”