Nico Hulkenberg will race for Aston Martin again this weekend in Saudi Arabia as Sebastian Vettel remains sidelined by Covid-19 for the second race in succession.
Vettel tested positive for Covid last week in Bahrain and subsequently isolated at his home in Switzerland, while Aston called upon Hulkenberg – the team's official reserve driver – to replace the four-time world champion.
The Silverstone-based outfit did not provide any information on Vettel's current status, but the team published a short statement in which it confirmed that Hulkenberg would "practice, qualify and race" for Aston in Jeddah.
#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
The team said that it expected Vettel to be fit for the next round of the 2022 F1 world championship that will take place in Australia on April 10.
In Bahrain last weekend, Hulkenberg outqualified Aston teammate Lance Stroll but the 34-year-old struggled on race day, which wasn't unexpected given his late call-up and his absence from F1 since his one-off with Team Silverstone at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.
"After familiarising myself with the AMR22 in Bahrain last weekend, racing in Saudi Arabia will give me the opportunity to develop and further improve my understanding of the car," said the Hulk in Aston's Saudia Arabian GP preview.
"In addition, the work I did back in the simulator earlier this week has given me some extra insight and helped me prepare for this fast and flowing track.
"Obviously, I wish Sebastian a speedy recovery, but I am really looking forward to the challenge and will be doing my best for the whole team this weekend."
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