One positive case from 3,909 tests, F1 and FIA confirm; Perez has been replaced by Hulkenberg at Racing Point for British GP
Friday 31 July 2020 18:28, UK
Sergio Perez is the only person to have tested positive for coronavirus from almost 4,000 tests ahead of the British GP, F1 has confirmed.
Racing Point driver Perez returned an inconclusive and then positive test on Thursday afternoon and has been replaced by Nico Hulkenberg for the weekend.
It was confirmed on Friday evening that there were no other positive tests.
"The FIA and Formula 1 can today confirm that between Friday July 24 and Thursday July 30, 3,909 tests for COVID-19 have been performed on drivers, teams and personnel," read a statement,
"Of these, one person, as previously announced, has tested positive.
"The FIA and Formula 1 are providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency. No specific details as to teams or individuals will be provided by the FIA or Formula 1 and results will be made public every seven days."
Perez is now self-isolating, while those at Racing Point who he came into contact with him are too despite returning negative results.
Perez revealed he had travelled home to Mexico between the Hungarian and British GPs to visit his mother and Racing Point boss Otmar Szafnauer revealed the precautions his team had been taking after his test results.
"There are two members of staff that travelled with Checo, his PA and his physio," he said. "They've both tested negative but they're isolating as well, for either seven or 10 days and then there are three members of the team that did a simulator session with Checo so they didn't really come into contact with him.
"As a precaution, they then stayed at home and isolated until they got a negative test so we tested them, all three are negative as well. They tested again this morning, they're at the factory now, working from the factory, they haven't come into the paddock but my anticipation is that they will be negative again for their second test and then thereafter we'll see if… we'll make a decision on whether they can come into the paddock."
There have been three positive tests in total since Formula 1 returned for 2020 amid strict COVID-19 protocols, the other two ahead of the last race in Hungary. It is understood neither individual worked in a front-line role.
The sport performed 8,598 tests between June 26-July 9, all of which returned negative results.
