A big setback for the Australian driver just before the start of the season.
Daniel Ricciardo has tested positive for COVID-19 and will therefore miss the remainder of the Bahrain F1 tests this week. The Australian, who had been unwell since Wednesday, had been isolated as a precaution and therefore has not completed a single kilometer at the wheel of the McLaren MCL36 on the Middle East track.
The British team confirmed the positive result of the PCR test this afternoon, after the end of the second day of tests in Bahrain. His participation in the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of the season, should not be in danger despite the fact that it takes place in a week.
VIDEO: A lap with the McLaren MCL36
“McLaren Racing can confirm that, after feeling unwell since Wednesday in Bahrain, Daniel Ricciardo has tested positive for COVID-19 in a PCR test. Daniel will remain in isolation in accordance with local laws.”
“Based on these rules, Daniel will be released in time for the Bahrain Grand Prix next week. Daniel is starting to feel better and we wish him a speedy recovery. Following this, we can confirm that Lando Norris will continue to drive the MCL36 during the last day of pre-season testing in Bahrain tomorrow,” the team’s statement read.
The pre-season tests began in a very positive way for the McLaren F1 team in Barcelona, where Lando Norris was even among the best. However, in Bahrain the British team has encountered a series of reliability problems that have hindered its preparation for the new season.
Ricciardo, who had been kept isolated as a precaution since his arrival in Bahrain due to feeling unwell, also did not participate in some acts prior to the start of the course, such as the official photograph of all the pilots. His teammate Norris has been in charge of shooting on each of the test days on the Middle East track.
Although Ricciardo is a rider with extensive experience, the Australian will arrive at the start of the season in Bahrain at a clear disadvantage compared to his team-mate and without having completed a single kilometer of testing on this track.
Therefore, next week he will have to make the most of the Grand Prix free practice to arrive as prepared as possible for the first round of this important season.
