Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg will replace compatriot Sebastian Vettel in F1’s Bahrain season-opener after the four-time world champion tested positive for Covid-19, Aston Martin said on Thursday.
“Sebastian Vettel has tested positive for Covid-19 and will not therefore be taking part in the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix,” the team said in a statement. Practice for Sunday’s race starts on Friday.
Hulkenberg is the team’s reserve driver and has stood in for them three times already since he last raced full time in Formula One with Renault in 2019.
The 34-year-old replaced Mexican Sergio Perez twice and Canadian Lance Stroll once in 2020 when the Silverstone-based team competed as Racing Point, with both drivers testing positive for Covid-19.
His last race was the 2020 Eifel Grand, when he replaced Stroll. There too he did not make the podium.
The 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours winner has started in 179 Formula One grands prix, without standing on the podium, in a career that began with Williams in 2010 and included stints with Aston Martin’s predecessors Force India.
He holds the F1 record for most starts without a top three finish.
