Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel will miss the 2022 season opener in Bahrain after testing positive for Covid.
His team Aston Martin confirmed the German would not race in the first race of the year this coming weekend after his positive result.
Reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg will fill in for his countryman alongside Lance Stroll.
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Vettel is the ninth F1 driver to test positive for Covid at some point, following Daniel Ricciardo missing the Bahrain test weekend due to the illness.
It’s the third time Hulkenberg has been called in to replace a driver at the team formerly known as Racing Point.
He took Sergio Perez’ seat for two races at Silverstone in 2020, qualifying third for the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix and finishing seventh, before replacing Stroll at the Eifel Grand Prix where he qualified 20th but finished eighth.
Hulkenberg holds the record for the most F1 starts without a podium finish, sitting at 179 races across his career at Williams, Force India, Sauber, Renault and Racing Point.