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,” added Perez.

“But I was in a special position where I could do something for Max, for my team. And that really made the difference to see them celebrating.

“Right now Max is the best driver on the grid. He is definitely a great reference to myself and as a driver you always want to be racing against the best, so it’s a privilege to have, but it’s the toughest job to have Max as a team-mate.”

Red Bull are expected to start the season well, with Hamilton recently claiming that Mercedes would not be in a position to fight for victories.

But Perez added: “We have seen that they are extremely strong and they will be very competitive this weekend.

“We have a lot of strategists and we know that they are very fast, so they will definitely be up there.”