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World champion Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, Formula One governing body FIA announced on Tuesday.
“In accordance with the COVID-19 protocols and the guidelines of the public health authority in Bahrain, he (Hamilton) is now in isolation,” an FIA statement said.
“The procedures established by the FIA and Formula 1 will ensure that there is no broader impact on this weekend’s event.”
Hamilton, who on Sunday won the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of consecutive races in the Gulf state, has already secured a record seventh world championship this season.
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“He woke up Monday morning with mild symptoms and at the same time was informed that a contact prior to his arrival in Bahrain had tested positive,” said a statement from the Mercedes team in Hamilton.
“Lewis therefore ran one more test and came back positive. Since then, this has been confirmed by a new test.
“Lewis is now isolating himself in accordance with the COVID-19 protocols and the guidelines of the public health authorities in Bahrain.
“Other than mild symptoms, he is otherwise fit and well and the entire team sends him their best wishes for a speedy recovery.”
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Mercedes added that Hamilton had been tested three times in the past week and returned a negative result each time as part of the sport’s strict antivirus protocols, the last of which was Sunday afternoon at the Bahrain circuit.
Hamilton sealed his seventh title in Turkey two races ago to equal Michael Schumacher’s all-time record.
He then took his 11th win this year and his 95th record win on Sunday in a race overshadowed by Romain Grosjean’s terrible accident, which left the Frenchman receiving hospital treatment for burns after his car exploded in flames after crashing into a barrier.
“It was such a shocking image to watch,” said Hamilton, who like all drivers had a nearly 90-minute wait for the restart after the accident on the first lap. Hamilton and his teammate Valtteri Bottas had to “live like hermits” earlier this season to avoid Covid-19, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff revealed after the team recorded two positive cases at the Eifel Grand Prix. in Germany in October.
Wolff said both drivers were confined to their rooms. “They are the most restricted of the whole group, of the whole team,” he said.
“It’s certainly not a great situation for them because you almost need to live like a hermit – and that’s what they are doing.
“They are at home, they don’t go out to dinner and they don’t meet other people. When we do briefings, by Zoom or Microsoft Teams, they are not sitting with their engineers in the room. “
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