ionigeria.com Nigerian Newspaper
F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for coronavirus just days after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix and will now miss the last two races of the season.
The British driver, 35, has mild symptoms according to his Mercedes team and has been forced to isolate in a hotel in Bahrain for 10 days, ruling him out of the upcoming Sakhir Grand Prix.
However, it will also rule him out of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the city’s strict Covid rules meaning all personnel involved in the F1 event must travel from Bahrain on December 7.
Hamilton is not expected to be able to fly out until December 9 at the earliest.
In a statement, the world champion said he was ‘devastated’ to not be able to race.
He said: ‘Since we started the season in June my team and I have been taking all the precautions we possibly can and following the regulations everywhere we have been in order to stay safe.
‘Unfortunately, even though I returned three negative results this past week, I woke up yesterday morning with mild symptoms and requested another test which came back positive. I have immediately gone into self-isolation for 10 days.
‘I am gutted not to be able to race this weekend but my priority is to follow the protocols and advice to protect others.
‘I am really lucky that I feel OK with only mild symptoms and will do my best to stay fit and healthy.
‘Please look after yourselves out there, you can never be too careful. These are worrying times for everyone and we need to make sure we are looking after ourselves and each other.’
It is unclear when or how Hamilton caught the virus, though Mercedes have confirmed someone he came into contact with before arriving in Bahrain has also tested positive.
Hamilton arrived in Bahrain on November 26 having spent two weeks at home in Monaco celebrating his F1 world championship.
He secured the title after winning the Turkish Grand Prix on November 15 and flew home on the same evening.
While in Monaco, he enjoyed a run on the beach and a game of tennis with his father Anthony in videos shared to social media, where he also spoke about celebrating his title win ‘with family’. It is unclear which other family members celebrated with him.
In another video, the Mercedes driver could be seen travelling in the same car alongside Anthony and his friend Daniel ‘Spinz’ Forrest.
While both his father and Forrest were wearing masks, Hamilton did not have a face covering on.
The date or location of the video are not known, though it appears to have been posted on social media on November 25, the day before Hamilton was seen at the track in Bahrain.
On November 22, Hamilton posted a video on Instagram of him playing tennis with his dad and revealed how they have both been working hard at getting better at the sport
It can take up to 14 days for coronavirus symptoms to appear after having contact with someone with the illness, suggesting Hamilton most likely contracted Covid in Monaco or very shortly after arriving in Bahrain.
Hamilton was seen exchanging elbow taps with members of the Mercedes team in the aftermath of his victory in Bahrain over the weekend.
His team say Hamilton was tested extensively last week, returning three negative results, including one on Sunday afternoon at the Bahrain International Circuit.
However, on Monday he woke up with mild coronavirus symptoms before being informed that a contact prior to his arrival in Bahrain had tested positive for the illness.
Hamilton then took another test which came back positive and was confirmed by a further retest.
The seven-time world champion, due to be knighted in the New Year’s Honours List, has not missed an F1 race since his debut in the sport in 2007 but will now sit on the sidelines for the penultimate race of the season.
He could also end up missing the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
A high-ranking source also said that it was ‘unlikely’ Hamilton would be able to race in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
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