F1 News
Hamilton lives in fear: "I certainly don't want to get sick again"
- GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton had to miss the Bahrain Grand Prix at the end of 2020 due to a COVID infection. Since then, the Mercedes driver has lived in constant fear of not getting sick again. Now that the infections around him are on the rise again, the Briton is taking the necessary measures.
In 2020 Hamilton could afford to miss a race; after all, the driver was already champion. Last year he was embroiled in a heated battle with Max Verstappen when he reported long-covid symptoms in Hungary. This made him very wary of the contagious disease. Last GP weekend the seven-time world champion appeared in public again wearing a facemask. Hamilton is taking the necessary measures to prevent another infection. He has already had COVID twice.
Hamilton had corona second time
The facemask is not currently mandatory in the paddock, but Hamilton says to Formel1.de that it is a personal choice. "I notice a lot of people getting sick around me and I certainly don't want to get sick again. I have been through that twice already." It appears that Hamilton was also ill last winter. The driver seems to be insinuating that corona is currently circulating within the Mercedes team. Peter Bonnington was not present in Austria. Hamilton says many of friends have COVID, and that some are worse than others. Hamilton also quickly refers to 'Bono' that he was not present in Austria
Hamilton is unlikely to win the title this year, so missing a race would not be as disastrous as it was last year, but the Briton is still very wary; he does wear a facemask, because no one else in the paddock does.