Hamilton the hermit as Mercedes report another COVID positive
SHOWS:
BRIXWORTH, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - NOVEMBER 13, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. VARIOUS OF MERCEDES TEAM CELEBRATING A SUCCESSFUL SEASON
SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - FEBRUARY 22, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
2. LEWIS HAMILTON (SECOND FROM RIGHT), MERCEDES TEAM MATE VALTTERI BOTTAS (SECOND FROM LEFT), MERCEDES TEAM CEO TOTO WOLFF (CENTRE), MANAGING DIRECTOR - MERCEDES AMG ANDY COWELL (FAR RIGHT) AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR JAMES ALLISON (FAR LEFT) STANDING BEHIND CAR AT THE 2018 MODEL'S LAUNCH
3. BOTTAS, WOLFF AND HAMILTON STANDING BEHIND CAR
NUERBURG, GERMANY (OCTOBER 8, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
4. PHOTO OUTSIDE NUERBURGRING FORMULA ONE CIRCUIT OF MICHAEL SCHUMACHER, WHO WON FIVE TIMES AT THE CIRCUIT
5. PEOPLE WALKING NEAR ENTRANCE
6. NUERBURGRING FLAGS
7. CIRCUIT EXTERIOR
STORY: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas must live 'like hermits' to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infecting their Formula One title battle, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said on Friday (October 9) after the team reported a second positive test result.
A Mercedes spokesman said the entire team had been tested again after the first positive showed up on Thursday ahead of the weekend's Eifel Grand Prix at Germany's Nuerburgring circuit.
One of those also showed up positive and another was inconclusive, he added.
Four further team members, who all tested negative, were then isolated in line with the sport's protocols while six replacements were flown in from England.
The Austrian said every precaution was being taken to shield six-times world champion Hamilton and Bottas, who is 44 points behind the Briton after 10 races, at the racetrack and elsewhere.
Racing Point's Sergio Perez missed two races in August after contracting the virus, the Mexican still the only driver to have tested positive, and the consequences for the top two are potentially massive.
Hamilton is on the brink of a record-equalling 91st career win this weekend and well on the way to matching Michael Schumacher's seven titles.
The season ends with a triple header in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi and Wolff acknowledged missing any race, or two, would be a critical blow.
