The Italian Ministry of Health has banned the sale of U-Mask brand masks — the official masks of the Formula 1 World Championship, sold in 122 countries around the world, reports ilgiornale.it.
In the 2020 season, these reusable masks were worn by almost everyone in the F1 paddock. However, an investigation by the Italian police revealed that the U-Mask protects against the coronavirus even worse than a conventional medical mask and poses a potential health hazard.
In late January, police in the Trentino-Alto Adige region sealed off the laboratory in Bolzano where the masks were developed. The investigation found that the certification of U-Mask as a medical device was carried out with gross violations — the laboratory conducting the procedure did not have the right to do so, and the documents were signed by a person without a corresponding scientific degree. The prosecutor’s office of Bolzano opened a criminal case under the article on abuse of authority. At the same time, a case was opened in Milan against the director of the company’s Italian office. To top it all off, the antitrust authorities intervened, raising questions about the company’s aggressive marketing and pricing policies in an emergency.
The press service of Formula 1 has not yet commented on the news about the removal of masks from sale.
