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Lewis Hamilton “woke up on Monday with slight symptoms and at the same time he was informed that a person with whom he was in contact prior to his arrival in Bahrain [la semana pasada] it tested positive, ”Mercedes said in a statement.
Hamilton, who became world champion for the seventh time in mid-November, underwent a diagnostic test and tested positive for coronavirus. “It feels good,” added his team.
“At this moment it is isolated,” explained the FIA in its official statement, estimating that established sanitary procedures mean that your diagnosis has no major impact on this weekend’s test.
Third positive on the grid
The name of the driver who will replace him has not yet been announced. Mercedes has two drivers in reserve: the Mexican Estaban Gutiérrez and the Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne.
With his 2020 world champion title, Hamilton reached seven, a record that he only shares with the German Michael Schumacher.
The last Sunday the Briton was proclaimed champion of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Next weekend the Sakhir Formula 1 Grand Prix will be held, also on the international circuit of Bahrain.
Mercedes specified that her star underwent three tests last week, following the protocol in force in F1 and Bahrain, the last on Sunday afternoon. In all it was negative.
Before Hamilton, the two drivers of the Racing Point team, the Mexican Sergio Pérez and the Canadian Lance Stroll, evidence was lost due to COVID-19.
Various figures from the paddock; such as Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll, Williams Simon Roberts’ ‘core team’ or Pirelli tire manager Mario Isola, they also tested positive since the start of the season in July.
Second casualty after Grosjean
The F1 health protocol foresees screening test before a race weekend, in the first 24 hours on the circuit, and then every five days when the grand prizes are chained, as is the current case, with three in three weeks, two in Bahrain and one in Abu Dhabi, at the end of the course.
The staff of the teams and other participants in the ‘circus’ are separated into bubbles as tight as possible, to limit the risk of contagion. Positive cases are immediately isolated.
Hamilton’s will be the second loss for the Sakhir GP after that of Frenchman Romain Grosjean (Haas), who suffers burns to his hands after his spectacular accident on Sunday at the start of the Bahrain GP.
Grosjean will be replaced by Brazilian Pietro Fitipaldi, 24, grandson of double world champion Emerson Fitipaldi, who will make his debut in the top flight.
The 34-year-old Frenchman, who, except for a surprise, is about to finish his last season in Formula 1, hopes to be able to recover his steering wheel in Abu Dhabi, his ‘team principal’ Guenther Steiner said on Tuesday.
“We will speak on Sunday to see if it is possible, it will depend on his health,” he said about the farewell at the Grosjean track.
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