Lewis Hamilton is recovering but “in bed and not feeling great” following his coronavirus diagnosis on Monday, according to his Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
Hamilton is missing this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix as a result of his diagnosis. Briton George Russell, on loan from the Williams team, is filling in for him.
Wolff said: “He is recovering. The first few days are always critical once you catch corona. He’s OK. He has symptoms but they are relatively mild.”
Hamilton, 35, is in isolation in Bahrain following his diagnosis and it remains to be seen whether he will deliver a negative test result in time to race in the season finale in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
There have been no further positive tests among Mercedes’ team at the track.
Hamilton’s close contacts Angela Cullen, his physiotherapist, and Marc Hynes, his adviser, are also in isolation. Mercedes are not providing information as to their Covid-19 status.
Wolff said that Hamilton’s diagnosis meant that any negotiations over a new contract have had to be put on hold.
“The timeline is being pushed back until he recovers,” Wolff said.
The seven-time champion is out of contract at the end of the season but both Wolff and Hamilton have said they intend to continue together.
And Wolff said Russell’s performance on track in Bahrain this weekend – and potentially Abu Dhabi, if Hamilton does not recover – was irrelevant to the discussions.
“We know what we have with Lewis,” Wolff said. “It would never be used as some kind of bargaining power either by him or us.”
