Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel will be replaced by Nico Hulkenberg for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix after testing positive for COVID-19.
Ahead of the first race for the 2022 Formula 1 season in Bahrain, Aston Martin announced on Thursday that Vettel would miss the event.
The four-time world champion’s positive diagnosis comes just a week after McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo was forced to sit out pre-season testing with Covid.
It marks the first grand prix weekend Vettel will be absent from since the 2007 European Grand Prix, prior to him securing a full-time race seat with Toro Rosso.
Aston Martin reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg will sub for his fellow German, marking his fourth stand-in appearance in the last two years.
Hulkenberg was drafted in to replace Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll during 2020 when both drivers sat out with Covid, with his last F1 appearance coming at that year’s Eifel Grand Prix.
Due to Bahrain’s quarantine restrictions, Vettel now faces a race against time to be ready for next week’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
A period of seven days isolation is required but exemptions can be made for elite athletes, which Lewis Hamilton was granted for the final race of 2020 in Abu Dhabi after missing the previous race through Covid.
F1 has taken a more relaxed approach to its previously strict Covid protocols this year, with PCR tests now only recommended and the bubble system between teams scrapped.
McLaren confirmed on Wednesday that Ricciardo would take part at the season opener this weekend having delivered a negative COVID-19 test.
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