Nico Hulkenberg will race for Aston Martin at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, with four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel failing to recover from COVID-19 in time for the weekend.
Vettel missed the season opener in Bahrain last weekend after testing positive for the virus, with reserve driver Hulkenberg replacing him and finishing the race 17th.
Aston Martin confirmed that Hulkenberg will once again step in for Vettel, who is expected to be fit for the Australian Grand Prix that is scheduled for April 8-10.
“Hulk Hulkenberg will practice, qualify and race alongside Lance Stroll,” Aston Martin said on Twitter. “Nico coped well in Bahrain and we are sure he will do likewise in Jeddah.”
Teams will be in action at the Corniche circuit in Jeddah later on Friday for the first two practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s main race. (Reporting by Manasi Pathak)
#SaudiArabianGP Update:@HulkHulkenberg will practice, qualify and race alongside @lance_stroll.
Despite lack of mileage in the #AMR22, Nico coped well in Bahrain and we are sure he will do likewise in Jeddah.
We expect Sebastian Vettel to be fit for the #AustralianGP. pic.twitter.com/SgiSYwxZY2
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) March 25, 2022