Lewis ‘gutted’ to miss race

Sakhir – World champion Lewis Hamilton said he was devastated to miss this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain having tested positive for coronavirus.

Hamilton, who on Sunday won the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of back-to-back races in the Gulf state, has already secured a record-equalling seventh world championship this season.

“I am devastated that I won’t be racing this weekend,” he said in a statement.

“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.”

Hamilton faces a tight race to be able to compete in the season-ending finale in Abu Dhabi the following weekend.

Due to strict Covid-19 rules in Abu Dhabi, all personnel involved in the F1 event are required to travel from Bahrain on 7 December.

Yas Island, where the race is being staged on 13 December, will then effectively be locked down.

“I am gutted not to be able to race this weekend but my priority is to follow the protocols,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton, 35, sealed his seventh title in Turkey two races back, to equal the all-time record of Michael Schumacher and cruised to his 11th win this year and record-increasing 95th victory on Sunday in a race overshadowed by Romain Grosjean’s horrific fi reball crash. –