Lewis Hamilton: Formula 1 champion tests positive for coronavirus

Lewis Hamilton feels “devastated” and “heartbroken” to miss the first GP of his career after getting a positive Covid-19 result; Hamilton shows mild symptoms and is now in isolation for 10 days; Vandoorne, Russell, Hulkenberg: Who will replace Mercedes in Bahrain?

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Ted Kravitz and Craig Slater discuss the news about Lewis Hamilton’s positive Covid-19 test and who could replace him at Sakhir’s GP for Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton will miss this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix after testing positive for coronavirus.

The Mercedes driver returned three negative tests last week, but began showing mild symptoms on Monday, at the same time being informed that a contact prior to his arrival in Bahrain last week had tested positive for Covid-19.

Hamilton had a positive result on an additional test, confirmed in a subsequent retest. Mercedes says he is showing mild symptoms but “otherwise fine” and now isolates himself according to guidelines.

Now in a 10-day period of isolation, Hamilton posted a message on Twitter saying he was “devastated” to miss the first race of his F1 career. He said he was following protocols and urged others to stay safe.

Mercedes says it will announce the temporary replacement of Hamilton “in due course.” Stoffel Vandoorne and Esteban Gutiérrez are the team’s reserve drivers, but it’s not certain that the F1 world champions will turn to either of them.

Hamilton’s period of isolation ends next Thursday. It remains to be confirmed whether he will return for next week’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

This weekend will be the first time Hamilton has been absent from a Grand Prix since he began his F1 career in 2007, ending a record streak of 265 consecutive starts.

He already closed his seventh record world championship three weeks ago in Turkey. Hamilton is the third F1 driver to contract Covid-19 this season after Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll from Racing Point.

In an earlier statement on Tuesday, Mercedes said: “The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team regrets to announce that Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be able to participate in the Sakhir GP this weekend.

“Lewis was tested three times last week and tested negative each time, the last of which was on Sunday afternoon at the Bahrain International Circuit as part of the standard racing weekend testing program.

“However, he woke up on Monday morning with mild symptoms and at the same time was informed that a contact prior to his arrival in Bahrain had subsequently tested positive. Lewis, therefore, underwent a new test and returned a positive result This has since been confirmed by a new test.

“Lewis is now isolating himself in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and guidelines from the public health authority in Bahrain. Other than mild symptoms, he is otherwise fit and well, and the whole team sends him their best wishes. for quick recovery. “

F1 says all of Hamilton’s contacts have been declared and the correct procedures followed, meaning “there is no wider impact” in the second event this weekend in Bahrain.

As a result, it is understood that two individuals in Hamilton’s ‘sub-bubble’ also isolate themselves.

Stoffel Vandoorne, who races for Mercedes in Formula E and is their reserve F1 driver, had already planned to fly to Bahrain to be with the team.

Who will replace Hamilton?

As previously planned, Vandoorne will fly from Formula E testing in Valencia to Bahrain to be with Mercedes at the Sakhir event this weekend.

On Tuesday, Vandoorne posted a photo of him exercising with the cheeky message, “Just stretching, what’s going on?”

But Mercedes may have options to replace Hamilton beyond the 28-year-old Belgian, who last raced in F1 with McLaren two years ago.

Britain’s George Russell is effectively on a long-term loan from Mercedes to Williams, but the Grove team would be understandably reluctant to lose their lead driver over the race weekend.

Nico Hulkenberg is a free agent and impressively replaced Perez and Stroll at Racing Point when races were lost earlier in the season.

Whoever takes the seat in the W11 alongside Valtteri Bottas will suddenly have an unexpected, and possibly unique, drive in F1’s dominant car, and the one who will again be the favorite for victory at Sunday’s Sakhir GP, which has Venue in a different layout location from last week’s first Bahrain race.

Sunday’s race, taking place in the venue’s shortest but fastest exterior layout for the first time, starts at 5.10pm Sunday live on Sky Sports F1.

Other drivers have posted cheeky “ come find me ” messages for Mercedes, both current and former drivers:

With the 2020 world title already confirmed, Hamilton leads his teammate Valtteri Bottas by 131 points in the drivers’ standings after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend, a career overshadowed by the terrible crash of Romain Grosjean.

The Englishman had also been on track to tie Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel’s all-time record of 13 wins in one season, but his absence from the second Bahrain race ends that prospect for 2020.