Vettel fit to race in Australia after COVID-19 absence

LONDON : Sebastian Vettel will race for Aston Martin in Australia next week after missing the first two grands prix of the season due to COVID-19, the Formula One team said on Thursday.

Fellow German Nico Hulkenberg stood in for the four times world champion at the Bahrain opener and in Saudi Arabia last weekend alongside Canadian regular Lance Stroll.

Aston Martin have yet to score a point in 2022, with Williams the only other team to have drawn a blank in both races.

"We are pleased to confirm that Sebastian Vettel is now fit to race and will therefore line up alongside @lance_stroll in Melbourne to kick off his 2022 @F1 season," Aston Martin said on Twitter.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris)