Mercedes

Hamilton "concern" following Covid case inside Mercedes

A team member has tested positive

Ian Parkes

Thursday 8 October 2020 17:42

Lewis Hamilton has conceded to "concern" following confirmation a member of his Mercedes Formula 1 team has tested positive for Covid-19.

It is the first case regarding someone directly involved with one of the teams since Racing Point's Sergio Perez ahead of the British Grand Prix in July that forced the Mexican to miss two races.

While F1 and the FIA have strict protocols in place, and while the incident ahead of this weekend's Eifel GP at the Nürburgring is being handled with those in mind, it again highlights the fragility of how a 'bubble' can be breached at any time.

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"Naturally it's sad to hear, for the guys that work so hard," said Hamilton, who is closing in on his seventh world title.

"We've obviously had this week in between [races], and the guys work so hard to stay safe and be here on the weekend, 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, it's still here.

"We still need to follow protocols, to wear a mask, to keep our hands clean, to keep our distances."

While Mercedes has not named the person involved or his position, Hamilton added: "I can't say what's 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, so we'll try and make him proud this weekend.

"It's just going to take a different type of work, a lot of work to make sure we continue on without any disturbances."

Team-mate Valtteri Bottas has naturally conceded that from a driver's perspective, the case is unsettling, but the Finn is confident it has been handled correctly.

"As a driver, the last thing you want is to get it," said Bottas. "It would definitely mean missing at least one race, maybe even more, and we've had one example of that already.

"Of course, it's about being as cautious as you can, following the protocols, trying to be sensible, and staying in the bubble.

"Sometimes it can be a matter of luck because it's pretty contagious. We're all trying to do the best we can not to get it.

"Of course, it's unfortunate that one team member got it, but I fully trust how the team is handling everything, following all the protocols and doing everything we can to make sure it stops there with that one case, so I have all the trust in them."