Lewis Hamilton has tested negative for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) virus and will race in the season finale Abu Dhabi GP this weekend.
“Lewis tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday prior to completion of his self-isolation period in Bahrain,” the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team said in a tweet. “This enabled him to travel to Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon, and he tested negative on arrival.”
A second negative test in Abu Dhabi was required for Hamilton to gain access to the F1 paddock.
Hamilton missed last week’s Sakhir GP after testing positive for the virus, which snapped a record-setting 265 consecutive races behind the wheel of an F1 car. The team turned driving duties over to George Russell, who dominated the race before a chaotic pit stop and punctured tire kept him from extending the team’s winning streak to six straight races.
There is now the opportunity for Hamilton to earn a career-best 12 races for the season.
Hamilton has won the Abu Dhabi GP five times already, including the two most recent races in 2018-2019. His first victory on this track came in 2011 with the other two victories in 2014 and 2016.
Teammate Valtteri Bottas won in 2017 with Nico Rosberg victorious in 2015 to give Mercedes a current six-race streak as the winning chassis manufacturer.
Russell will return to the Williams No. 63 as his replacement Jack Aitken returns to his duties as a reserve driver for Williams.
