Mercedes has confirmed that another team member has tested positive for COVID-19 at this weekend’s Eifel Grand Prix, following news of its first positive case on Thursday.
After the initial case was detected, all team members present at the Nurburgring this weekend were retested for the virus on site. One positive and one inconclusive test were returned on Friday morning. In line with FIA protocols, a further four team members, all of whom tested negative, will self-isolate and not take part in the race weekend.
Six replacements have travelled from the UK to fill the vacant positions, but further details about the infected individuals will not be provided, owing to data protection and medical confidentiality.
The team’s race drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, were at the circuit on Friday, indicating they have not been impacted by the outbreak.
Speaking after the news of the first positive case 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.”
All members of the F1 paddock are tested for the 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.