Positive corona test kills four-time world champion
Sebastian Vettel cannot participate in the Formula 1 season opener in Bahrain due to a positive corona test. The Aston Martin F1 Team reports this on Twitter. Nico Hulkenberg, who made his debut in Formula 1 12 years ago and has been on the reserve bench since 2019, will replace Vettel.
Due to his positive corona test, Vettel cannot participate in the Bahrain Grand Prix according to the protocols. He will not drive all weekend, Hulkenberg has replaced Vettel from the first free practice. Hulkenberg will need those training sessions. After all, it is the first time that the German will take to the track with a 2022 car. However, he knows the Bahrain circuit well, so it is hoped for Aston Martin that he can still score some points. He is also no stranger to the team. Hulkenberg started in 2011 as a test driver at Force India, later successively called Racing Point and Aston Martin.
Hulkenberg lost his seat at Renault in 2019, where he was allowed to start in 2017 after a switch from Force India. He then came into action three times as a reserve driver during a race. In 2020 he replaced Lance Stroll at the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, earlier that year he replaced Sergio Perez, who was then driving for Racing Point, during the two race weekends at Silverstone. Hulkenberg, who also speaks Dutch, has never been on the podium in his entire Formula 1 career. It is unlikely that he will succeed next weekend.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl