SAN FRANCISCO, December 11, (THEWILL) – Record-breaking British race driver Lewis Hamilton will return for Formula 1 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend after returning negative coronavirus tests.
The seven-time world champion did not feature in last week’s Sakhir GP after contracting COVID-19 and had to serve a mandatory 10-day period of isolation in Bahrain, which ended on Thursday.
The governing body for auto racing, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), said Hamilton recorded “a number of negative COVID-19 tests”, first on Wednesday and then on his arrival in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
George Russell, who held his own in Hamilton’s place last weekend, will revert to his seat at Williams. For his final duties, the 22-year-old was on standby to fill in again and completed media engagements for Mercedes in the Abu Dhabi paddock on Thursday.
“Lewis tested negative for Covid-19 on Wednesday prior to completion of his self-isolation period in Bahrain. This enabled him to travel to Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon, and he tested negative on arrival,” a statement from Mercedes read.
“Lewis has therefore completed the protocols required by the FIA for his entry to the paddock tomorrow and will be able to take part in the race weekend.”
Friday morning will see Hamilton return to track action in the first practice session in Abu Dhabi, which throttles off at 9am.
The Sakhir GP of last weekend was the first ever race that Hamilton had missed since his F1 career began in 2007, after a record run of 265 consecutive starts. At last month’s Turkish GP, the 35-year-old clinched this year’s world drivers’ title, a record-equaling seventh for the Englishman.
In a video update on Tuesday, Hamilton said that while he had experienced “one of the hardest weeks that I’ve had for some time,” suffering from the virus he was feeling better and had completed his first training session since his positive test on November 30.
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