Driver Perez to miss British GP after positive COVID-19 test

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RESENDING TO UPDATE SCRIPT TO REFLECT THAT SERGIO PEREZ'S RETEST CAME BACK POSITIVE AND THAT HE WILL MISS THE BRITISH GP

VIDEO SHOWS: FILE FOOTAGE OF SERGIO PEREZ / FILE FOOTAGE OF CHASE CAREY

MONDSEE, AUSTRIA (FILE - FEBRUARY 17, 2020) (RACING POINT VIDEO NEWS RELEASE - ACCESS ALL)

1. RACING POINT DRIVERS, LANCE STROLL (LEFT), AND SERGIO PEREZ, UNVEILING THE 2020 CAR

2. DETAILS OF NEW CAR

3. TEAM PRINCIPAL OTMAR SZAFNAUER TALKING

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (FILE - OCTOBER 25, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

4. PHOTOGRAPHERS

5. PEREZ HOLDING HELMET

6. PEREZ STANDING BY MCLAREN CAR

7. PEREZ HOLDING MEXICAN FLAG

8. PEREZ SITTING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE

9. PEREZ SHAKING HANDS WITH JOURNALISTS

SHANGHAI, CHINA (FILE - APRIL 13, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

10. FORMULA ONE CHAIRMAN, CHASE CAREY, TAKING QUESTIONS FROM MEDIA

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JULY 11, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

11. CAREY SPEAKING TO MEDIA AT PREMIERE FOR THE DOCUMENTARY FILM, "WILLIAMS"

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (FILE - JUNE 20, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

12. CAREY SPEAKING ON STAGE AT THE FIA SPORT CONFERENCE

13. VARIOUS OF CAREY TALKING TO JOURNALISTS

STORY: Racing Point Formula One team driver Sergio Perez will miss the weekend's British Grand Prix after testing positive for COVID-19, Formula One said on Thursday (July 30).

Perez and some of his Racing Point team mates were self-isolating ahead of the race at Silverstone after the Mexican driver's initial test came back as inconclusive.

"Following today's announcement that Sergio Perez of the BWT Racing Point Formula 1 Team produced an inconclusive test result for COVID-19... the FIA and Formula 1 can now confirm that the result of his re-test is positive," F1 said in a statement.

"Perez has entered self-quarantine in accordance with the instructions of the relevant public health authorities, and will continue to follow the procedure mandated by those authorities."

Racing Point said Perez, who is the first driver to test positive since the season restarted this month, was "physically well and in good spirits" and that a reserve driver would take his place.

Formula One has started its delayed season without spectators and under carefully controlled conditions, with teams operating in "bubbles" and all employees and those with access to the paddock tested every five days.

The sport had reported only two positive results, neither involving people who attended races, from more than 15,000 tests carried out from June 26 to July 23.

Formula One chairman Chase Carey said before the start of the season that the sport would not cancel a race even if a driver returned a positive test.

(Production: Iain Axon)