Formula 1 2020: Lewis Hamilton gets green light to race at Abu Dhabi GP after COVID-19 recovery

Abu Dhabi: World champion Lewis Hamilton was on Thursday given the green light to return to racing at this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after recovering from coronavirus.

Hamilton missed last Sunday’s Sakhir GP, but the FIA and Mercedes both confirmed that he had passed a number of negative COVID-19 tests after completing a 10-day quarantine period in Bahrain.

George Russell, who replaced Hamilton last week and came agonisingly close to a shock victory, will return to his Williams team.

“The FIA, Formula 1 and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team can confirm that Lewis Hamilton has returned a number of negative COVID-19 tests,” FIA said in a statement issued on Thursday. “He has completed his ten day quarantine in Bahrain and was free to leave the country according to the Bahraini health authority regulations. Lewis has now arrived in Abu Dhabi following confirmation from the authorities that he could do so and after quarantining has now received a further negative test result.”

The FIA COVID-19 protocols mandate that a negative pre-test result is necessary to be given access to the Formula 1 paddock and another negative test result no more than 24 hours following arrival is required.

“Lewis, having now tested negative in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi will be granted access to the paddock,” the statement added.