Sebastian Vettel tested positive for Corona and is therefore unable to take part in the opening race in Bahrain on Sunday. A replacement has already been found: It’s Nico Hulkenberg.
Ex-world champion Sebastian Vettel has tested positive for Corona and will therefore miss the Formula 1 season opener on Sunday in Bahrain. Nico Hülkenberg takes over his cockpit at Aston Martin for the first race of the year. The racing team announced this on Thursday. Aston Martin initially gave no information on how Vettel was doing.
From 2017 to 2019, Hülkenberg drove for the Renault racing team in the premier class of motorsport. The German’s contract was not extended for 2020 at the time, however, so that he only came on assignments, such as covering Vettel’s illness.
It is the seventh time that a Formula 1 driver has missed a race because of a positive infection with the corona virus – Nico Hülkenberg was used as a reserve driver four times. The German has already replaced Sergio Perez in both Silverstone races in 2020 and Lance Stroll at the Nürburgring in the same year. Vettel’s fate also had to be accepted by McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo. He missed the test drives due to Corona. However, the Australian is ready to drive again.