Ineos Hygienics will be on hand at the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix this weekend as fans return to the iconic Silverstone Circuit for the first time since 2019.

As one of the government’s test events to allow fans back under the Events Research Programme, Silverstone has partnered with Ineos Hygienics to provide hospital-grade sanitiser to people attending the event.

There will be 50ml travel-sized bottles available for free around the circuit for fans to use and take home with them, as well as a number of Ineos touchless sanitiser dispensers in key locations.

Ineos Hygienics is best placed to serve the race, having provided the NHS with freehand sanitiser at the start of the pandemic to meet the global shortage. As elite sport returned, the organisation partnered with some of the world’s best sports teams, including the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.

By providing the team with touchless dispensers and hospital grade sanitiser, it's helped to keep Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and the wider team safe at the factory and the track so they can keep racing.

Silverstone is expecting to have in the region of 350,000 fans over the course of the event - the first time crowds have been at the circuit for a Grand Prix race since 2019.

In addition to support from Ineos Hygienics, Silverstone has also put in place a number of other COVID protocols to allow fans to return, including the use of COVID certification measures and a heightened cleaning regime.

Alex Lacey, operations director at Silverstone, said: “Being able to welcome fans back to Silverstone and to the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix is a really special moment for us.

"The safety of fans remains our priority which is why we’ve partnered with Ineos Hygienics whose sanitisers are used and trusted by hospitals across the globe.”

George Ratcliffe, COO at INEOS Hygienics, added: “We’ve supported front line workers and elite sports teams throughout the pandemic to help keep them safe on the job and now we can do it for sports fans too.

"The British GP is such an iconic moment in the sporting calendar so to be able to allow fans back to the circuit is a great step forward. Now, more than ever is a time when we all need to keep practising good hand hygiene to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria as the world opens up even more. We’re proud to be on hand to support the fans’ safe return to Silverstone.”

Ineos Hygienics built six factories from scratch at the start of the pandemic specifically to deliver hand sanitiser to hospitals free of charge across the UK, Europe and the US.

The Ineos Group has a long-standing history of producing pure and effective sanitising agent - pharmaceutical grade alcohol.

In August 2020, Ineos Hygienics was formally launched at the British GP with support from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team bringing the same 75 per cent hospital-grade sanitiser to consumers, helping people target viruses with confidence.

Its high purity ethanol is manufactured to meet the specialist requirements of healthcare environments. This ensures that it's effective in eliminating 99.9 per cent of viruses and bacteria.