Nico Hülkenberg back for Racing Point after positive Covid test for Perez

Nico Hülkenberg will be back in the Racing Point seat at Silverstone this weekend after Sergio Perez once again tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the Formula 1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.

The Mexican driver had already completed his quarantine following his initial positive test last week but needed to a negative result in yesterday’s test to return to the paddock.

Racing Point said that Perez is “following the guidance of Public Health England”. It is not yet clear whether this will affect his participation in next week’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Hülkenberg will be hoping to take the grid this weekend after a broken part in his car’s power unit left him in the pits for the British Grand Prix. “I’m excited to get going again with the team at Silverstone,” he said.

“Last weekend, it was a real step into the unknown having been away from the team for a few years – and driving a car I’d never driven before. I’ve learned a lot in the last week about the RP20, and I am ready to apply my experiences to this weekend.

“Racing at the same track again makes things a bit easier and the team has done a great job in helping me get up to speed. I think we can fight for points this weekend, which is definitely my goal. I also want to wish Checo all the best in his recovery.”

The team said that he had integrated “seamlessly” into its operation at the last race. “Nico did a really strong job last weekend after receiving a last-minute call to drive for us at Silverstone, and he proved why he was an obvious choice to stand in for Checo,” said team principal Otmar Szafnauer. “It was a big shame he couldn’t actually take the start of the race last Sunday, but the all that hard work will prove very useful for this weekend. We miss having Checo with us, but we wish him well and look forward to welcoming him back into the team in the near future.”