Still no negative test for Sebastian Vettel
German driver Sebastian Vettel was already absent from the starting grid in Bahrain due to the Coronavirus. And without a negative test by tomorrow, he may well miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Last week, Sebastian Vettel tested positive for the Coronavirus, depriving him of any chance to race in Bahrain. This is why Aston Martin called upon their reserve driver, namely Nico Hülkenberg.
Aston Martin revealed this morning that Vettel is still unable to provide a negative test. He is unable to travel to Saudi Arabia due to the current health restrictions. It was already planned for Nico Hülkenberg to be present in Jeddah in case a replacement is needed. If a test is not provided before tomorrow, it would mean that Sebastian Vettel would miss the first two races of the season with this new generation of cars. Another blow for the German driver who was looking forward to starting this new season.
UPDATE: Sebastian Vettel has not yet returned the required negative COVID test to fly to the #SaudiArabiaGP. Nico Hülkenberg will be in Jeddah to deputise for Seb if necessary. We will delay our final decision until Friday to provide Seb every opportunity to race.
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) March 24, 2022
UPDATE: Sebastian Vettel has not yet provided the necessary negative COVID test to attend the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Nico Hülkenberg will be present in Jeddah as a replacement if needed. We will postpone our final decision until Friday to give Sebastian Vettel every opportunity to race.