World champion Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Sakhir Grand Prix this weekend, his Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team said Tuesday.
The team issued a statement saying Hamilton was tested three times last week and returned a negative result each time, the last on Sunday afternoon at the Bahrain International Circuit where he won the Grand Prix.
“But he up woke Monday morning with mild symptoms and was informed at the same time that a contact prior to arrival in Bahrain had subsequently tested positive,” the team said. “Lewis, therefore, took a further test and returned a positive result. This has since been confirmed by a retest.”
Hamilton is in isolation in accordance with the health protocols in Bahrain.
“Apart from mild symptoms, he is otherwise fit and well, and the entire team sends him its very best wishes for a swift recovery,” the team statement said.
The 35-year-old Hamilton appeared to be drained at the end of the race in Bahrain.
“It’s physical, this track has always been physical. We’ve got lots of high-speed corners so I was definitely feeling it,” he said soon after the GP. “I was sliding around a lot out there and I wasn’t really quite sure how it would play out at the end.”
There is another race in Bahrain on Sunday — on Sakhir’s shorter outer circuit — before the 17-race season concludes in Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton has a big lead in the F1 drivers’ champion with 332 points, well ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas on 201 points and Max Verstappen on 189.
The Mercedes team said it would announce a replacement driver later in the week.
Hamilton tests positive for COVID-19, will miss Sakhir F1 GP
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Hamilton tests positive for COVID-19, will miss Sakhir F1 GP
- The team issued a statement saying Hamilton was tested three times last week and returned a negative result each time
- Hamilton is in isolation in accordance with the health protocols in Bahrain
Neymar extends Santos deal through 2026, eyeing World Cup return
- The 33-year-old forward returned to his boyhood club Santos in January 2025 and played a key role in their survival in the Brazilian top flight
- The former Barcelona and Paris St. Germain star, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, has not featured for the five-time World Cup winners since 2023. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said in October he must be fully fit to earn a recall
SAO PAULO: Neymar has agreed to extend his contract with Santos until the end of 2026, the Brazilian club said on Tuesday, as he maintains hopes of a World Cup call-up despite recent injuries.
The 33-year-old forward returned to his boyhood club Santos in January 2025 and played a key role in their survival in the Brazilian top flight, scoring five times in their last five matches.
“Santos is my place, I’m at home,” Neymar said in a video published on the Brazilian club’s social media. “It’s with you that I want to achieve the dreams that are still missing,” he added, referring to Santos’ fans.
Neymar, who has long struggled with injuries, underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his knee last month.
The former Barcelona and Paris St. Germain star, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, has not featured for the five-time World Cup winners since 2023. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said in October he must be fully fit to earn a recall.
Brazil will face Scotland, Morocco and Haiti in Group C of the World Cup, running from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico and the US.
