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Valtteri Bottas will have a different teammate at Mercedes this weekend after Lewis Hamilton tested positive for Covid-19 in Bahrain. What happens now?
How is Lewis Hamilton and when will he return?
The good news is that right now, Hamilton is feeling fit and well, aside from mild Covid-19 symptoms, so fingers crossed the Mercedes driver makes a quick recovery.
READ MORE: Hamilton ruled out Sakhir’s Grand Prix after testing positive for Covid-19
Hamilton wanted to win all the remaining races, and he is clearly fit to do so, but improving and getting back in top form will be his top priority, especially given that the World Championship has already been won.
In addition to definitely missing the Sakhir Grand Prix, his participation in the season finale is in doubt due to the strict Covid restrictions in place in both Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.
In any case, you will not be allowed to return to a Formula 1 paddock, or even travel to Abu Dhabi, until you have tested negative, so at the moment it is not safe in any way.
Who else was affected?
There are strict protocols, so when someone tests positive, all close contacts are declared. This has been the case for Hamilton.
These contacts will be retested and isolated until the result is known. The results have been returned quickly in Bahrain, usually within six hours.
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Who will replace Hamilton?
Mercedes is still working on it.
His reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne will travel to Bahrain after completing Formula E testing in Valencia, Spain on Tuesday, as originally planned.
It is far from certain whether the Belgian, who is experienced in the Mercedes simulator and previously raced in F1 for McLaren for two full seasons, will get the nod.
Mercedes junior George Russell, currently at Williams, could be in dispute. They could also opt for Nico Hulkenberg, who did three races this year replacing Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll at Racing Point.
What impact will this have on the race weekend?
Hamilton, by his own admission, didn’t make any mistakes in Bahrain, as he posted his 11th win of the season, so his absence will open things up dramatically in a venue that will use a different “outer loop” design.
His teammate Valtteri Bottas struggled to keep up in Bahrain against his teammate, while Red Bull came closer in pure performance, taking the other two podium spots.
READ MORE: 6 winners and 5 losers of an extraordinary Bahrain Grand Prix – who made the list?
Add in a Racing Point that is powerful in Bahrain as well, and this is possibly the most open Grand Prix we’ve had in years.
How does it affect the two championships?
Obviously, the drivers and constructors titles are already decided, but there is still a lot to play for.
With the leading driver out of the fray, the midfield teams (McLaren, Racing Point, Renault and Ferrari) could score bigger points in a tense fight for P3 that brings a big cash prize: 40 points separate the quartet.
Big booty this weekend could put that position out of reach before Abu Dhabi.
Similarly, in the drivers’ fight for fourth place, Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Pérez and Charles Leclerc are separated by only four points. Based on Perez’s form last weekend, Hamilton’s absence turns the favor.
