A member of the Mercedes Formula One team has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of this weekend’s Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.
The team confirmed the positive case on Thursday and a spokesman said it was being handled in accordance with FIA protocols. No further details were given.
ESPN understands the Mercedes case does not involve either of the team’s drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
Asked about the team member in an online press conference on Thursday, Hamilton said: “Naturally, it’s sad to hear that, for the guys that work so hard, we’ve had this week in between, and those guys work so hard to stay safe and to be here on the weekends. So it’s definitely a concern.
“It’s obviously important for everyone around the world, to be continuously reminded that this thing has not disappeared, that it’s still here, we still need to continue to follow protocols and wear masks and keep our hands clean, keep our distances. I can’t say what it’s going to do to the weekend.
“We have a lot of great people within our team, it’s not just about one person. We’ll try and make him proud this weekend, and it’s just going to take a different type of work, a lot of work to make sure that we continue on without any disturbances.”
A positive case within a race team requires all close contacts to isolate and return a negative test result before they can return to the paddock.
All members of the F1 paddock are tested for coronavirus ahead of an event, at regular intervals during events and after events.
In the week following the Russian Grand Prix, Formula One confirmed there had been 10 positive cases among 1,822 tests. However, a statement from the sport clarified all the cases involved “ancillary personnel” rather than F1 team members.
Racing Point driver Sergio Perez tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the British Grand Prix in August and missed two races as a result. He is the only Formula One driver to test positive for the virus so far.