F1 drivers should be able to race with Covid-19 – Red Bull’s Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez believes Formula One drivers should be able to race with Covid-19.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has been ruled out of the sport’s season opener here in Bahrain on Sunday after testing positive for the virus.

The Aston Martin driver will be replaced by his German compatriot Nico Hulkenberg.

Vettel, 34, is the second driver to contract coronavirus in the past week after McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo fell ill and missed testing. The Australian has since recovered and is fit it to take part in Sunday’s race.

Although mandatory testing has been scrapped by Formula One this season, teams are continuing with the process.

But Perez, who missed two races in 2020 with Covid, said: “There’s so much we’ve learned about the virus that going forward we should discuss whether we allow the drivers to race if the symptoms are mild.

“The drivers can obviously be the judge, but I think it makes sense to have a discussion.”

Aston Martin’s reserve driver Hulkenberg, 34, last competed in F1 in 2020. He made three substitute Covid appearances – for Perez, and the Mexican’s former Racing Point team-mate, Lance Stroll.

F1 has made it compulsory for all team personnel to be vaccinated this year.

However, drivers will still be banned from the paddock if they return a positive test in a country where isolation is not required. It is understood this is unlikely to change in the immediate future.

Perez, 32, is gearing up for his second season at Red Bull. The Mexican played his part in helping Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the world championship by holding up the Briton at last season’s contentious finale in Abu Dhabi.

“I want to be the one that is fighting for the championship and winning the championship for my team,”