Sebastian Vettel has been ruled out of the Bahrain Grand Prix following a positive Covid-19 test

            Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion, has been ruled out of Sunday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after testing positive for Covid-19.

Nico Hulkenberg will take over as Aston Martin’s driver.

Daniel Ricciardo of McLaren missed the final test in Bahrain last week due to coronavirus.

However, the Australian is fit for the race weekend, which begins with practise on Friday, despite a negative test result.

Hulkenberg, 34, is an Aston Martin reserve driver who has not been a full-time F1 racer since 2019.

The German made three appearances in 2020, filling in for Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll, who both missed races due to coronavirus.

The season’s second event takes place on March 27 in Saudi Arabia. If German Vettel has previously tested negative, he should be permitted to compete.