08/10/2020
NEWS STORY
The news that a team member has tested positive for the coronavirus has got Mercedes weekend off to the worst possible start ahead of its home race.
The German team still has nightmares over last year's home race, and discovering that a crew member has tested positive for the virus is sure to cause concern this time around.
Though only one member tested positive, it is unclear how many others he came into contact with, and as world champion, Lewis Hamilton admits, the team will need to react accordingly.
"Naturally, it's sad to hear that, for the guys that work so hard," he said. "We've had this week in-between, and those guys work so hard to stay safe and to be here on the weekends. So it's definitely a concern.
"I can't say what it's going to do to the weekend," he admitted. "We have a lot of great people within our team, it's not just about one person.
"We'll try and make him proud this weekend, and it's just going to take a different type of work, a lot of work, to make sure that we continue on without any disturbances."
"I think for sure, as a driver, the last thing you want is to get it," added teammate, Valtteri Bottas as the paddock reflects on the fact that the person who tested positive is the first member of an F1 team to catch the virus since Sergio Perez. "It would definitely mean at least missing one race, maybe more.
"We had one example of that already, so we are being as cautious as we can, following the protocols, try to be sensible, and stay in the bubble. Of course sometimes it can be a matter of luck. It's pretty contagious. We're all trying to do the best we can not to get it.
"It's unfortunate that one team member got it, but I fully trust how the team is handling everything, following all the protocols and doing everything we can to make sure that it stops there in that one case. I have all the trust in that."
Check out our Thursday gallery from the Nurburgring, here.