Australian Open Grand Slam delayed until Feb.8: Report
SAKHIR: George Russell will step up from Williams to replace world champion Lewis Hamilton, who tested positive for Covid-19, at Formula One’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, Mercedes announced Wednesday.
Williams reserve Jack Aitken will replace Russell at Williams this weekend, joining regular driver Nicholas Latifi.
“Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to everybody at Williams for giving me this opportunity,” said Russell.
“I might be wearing a different race suit this weekend, but I’m a Williams driver and I’ll be cheering my team on every step of the way.”
Russell becomes just the third Briton to represent Mercedes in Formula One ater Stirling Moss and Lewis Hamilton.
“A big thank you also to Mercedes for puting their faith in me,” added Russell.
“Obviously, nobody can replace Lewis, but I’ll give my all for the team in his absence from the moment I step in the car.
“Most importantly, I wish him a speedy recovery. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity and can’t wait to get out on track this week.”
Russell has been a member of the MercedesBenz junior programme since 2017 when he won the GP3 Series championship as a rookie, before repeating the feat in Formula 2 in 2018.
He now gets a chance to drive the Formula One world championship-winning car alongside Valteri Botas for the penultimate race of the season.
Mercedes said they would announce ater the race weekend their driver plans for the season finale at Abu Dhabi a week later.
Hamilton, who is in isolation ater suffering mild symptoms and testing positive for Covid-19 on Monday, faces a tight batle to be able to compete there because of strict Covid-19 rules in Abu Dhabi meaning all personnel must travel from Bahrain on December 7.
The 35-year-old Hamilton sealed his seventh world title in Turkey two races ago to equal the all-time record of Michael Schumacher. Grosjean leaves hospital
Formula One driver Romain Grosjean let hospital on Wednesday, three days ater escaping a fiery high-speed crash in the Bahrain Grand Prix with just burns to his hands, his team said.
Grosjean was treated in a military hospital in Bahrain for the burns he suffered while jumping out of his blazing Haas car following a collision with Daniil Kvyat on the first lap of Sunday’s race.
In a video posted to Twiter on Tuesday, Grosjean said: “I’m geting beter and beter, obviously a few parts are a bit painful but it’s OK.
MELBOURNE: The Australian Open tennis Grand Slam will start three weeks late on Feb.8, reports said on Wednesday, with players cleared to train during quarantine following lengthy negotiations with state authorities.
According to Australian media, the start date was announced to players by tournament director Craig Tiley. If confirmed, it will join the three other major tournaments in being disrupted by the coronavirus.
Tennis Australia has been in protracted talks with Victoria state authorities in Melbourne, which only emerged from a months-long lockdown in October following a second wave of cases.
“It’s taken a while, but the great news is it looks like we are going to be able to hold the AO (Australian Open) on 8 February,” Tiley was quoted as telling players in a leaked leter.
“Players will have to quarantine for two weeks from 15 January, but the Victorian government has agreed to special conditions for AO participants - agreeing that they need to be able to prepare for a Grand Slam.”
Under the plan, players who test negative for the virus will be able to train while in isolation, Tiley wrote.
Tennis Australia did not confirm the reports on Wednesday, and said plans were still awaiting approval from the state government.
A February 8 start date would allow for a week of warm-up tournaments ater quarantine, but would likely mean scrapping the flagship ATP Cup men’s team event due to a lack of time.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews earlier said he remained commited to holding the Australian Open, but that safety was paramount.
“Unlike every other tennis tournament that the men’s and women’s tours will play this year, only the Australian Open is a tennis tournament in a city where it can likely be assumed that those players will bring the virus here,” he told reporters.
“Just think about that for a moment -- every other Grand Slam (is happening in a place where) cases are running wild.”
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal last month said it was an unprecedented situation and urged patience from players.
“That is difficult for everyone,” he said at the ATP Finals in London. “We need to be flexible to understand the situation and to find a way to play as many tournaments as possible next year.”