By Oyinlola Awonuga (The New Diplomat’s Entertainment, Fashion and Sports Desk)
Lewis Hamilton will miss this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix after testing positive for the novel coronavirus disease.
His replacement driver is yet to be announced but the Mercedes driver is reportedly self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 following Bahrain Grand Prix.
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 displaying mild symptoms on Monday and was informed at the same time that a contact prior to his arrival in Bahrain had subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.
Hamilton returned a positive result in a further test, confirmed in a later retest. Mercedes say he is showing mild symptoms but is “otherwise fit and well” and is now self isolating in line with guidelines.
Mercedes say they will announce Hamilton’s temporary replacement “in due course”. Stoffel Vandoorne and Esteban Gutierrez are the team’s reserve drivers.
It will be the first Grand Prix Hamilton has missed in his 14-season career, ending a record run of 265 consecutive starts.
He already wrapped up his record-equalling seventh world championship three weeks ago in Turkey. Hamilton is the third F1 driver to contract Covid-19 this season after Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll.
With the 2020 world title already confirmed, Hamilton leads his teammate Valtteri Bottas by 131 points in the drivers standings after victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend, a race overshadowed by Romain Grosjean’s terrifying accident.
The Englishman had also been on course to tie Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel’s all-time record of 13 wins in a season, but his absence from Bahrain’s second race ends that prospect for 2020.
