[fiveohwblow]

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...isofT26LX.html

Mercedes will be without Lewis Hamilton for this coming weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain after the seven-time world champion tested positive for Covid-19._
In accordance with COVID-19 protocols and public health authority guidelines in Bahrain he is now isolating. All contacts have been declared.
The Briton is the third F1 driver to test positive for Covid-19 this season, following Sergio Perez at Silverstone and Lance Stroll in Germany.
Mercedes are expected to name Hamilton's replacement in due course.
Hamilton needs a negative test before being allowed to return to the paddock, and therefore remains a doubt for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

[EdM5]

Call the Hulk!

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by EdM5

Call the Hulk!

Vandoorne! Throw an unknown into the fray.

[M5Rick]

Amazing..just switched on a serial of CHiPs and the cops all quarantined for 2 weeks.

[SenorFunkyPants]

First choice of the available drivers must be Russell.
As a possible future replacement for Bottas or Hamilton he has to be top of the list if Williams will let Merc borrow him.

Otherwise its Vandoorne or Hulkenberg neither especially inspiring but at least Nico would have a chance to get that elusive podium.

EDIT: There is an advantage to Williams in letting Russell drive the Mercedes...in that his performance against Bottas
(and by extension Hamilton) might give them some idea of where they are with the Williams.
In the sense that... if he does well against Bottas then it indicates that any improvements in the Williams performance will come more from car development than because Russell is underperforming the car.

[HFW003]

I’m free!

[yco]

timing is not bad for such a thing at least..

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

First choice of the available drivers must be Russell.
As a possible future replacement for Bottas or Hamilton he has to be top of the list if Williams will let Merc borrow him.

Otherwise its Vandoorne or Hulkenberg neither especially inspiring but at least Nico would have a chance to get that elusive podium.

EDIT: There is an advantage to Williams in letting Russell drive the Mercedes...in that his performance against Bottas
(and by extension Hamilton) might give them some idea of where they are with the Williams.
In the sense that... if he does well against Bottas then it indicates that any improvements in the Williams performance will come more from car development than because Russell is underperforming the car.

i believe Russell is more like a mid or long-term project for Merc' but i dont know about the regs that can let that happen right away for this weekend as a replacement.. Merc' and Williams is not like Red Bull and Alpha Tauri in the end.. maybe they can i dont know..

i agree for comparing part but expecting Russel to outperform Bottas right away is a possibility but quite minor.. and probably Merc' is tracking his performance a lot a lot detailed way than we talk here already.. jumping into W11 d be a great thing for Russell but he is already progressing towards there.. Wolff is a very clever guy..

[FuzzyPeaches]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

First choice of the available drivers must be Russell.
As a possible future replacement for Bottas or Hamilton he has to be top of the list if Williams will let Merc borrow him.

Otherwise its Vandoorne or Hulkenberg neither especially inspiring but at least Nico would have a chance to get that elusive podium.

EDIT: There is an advantage to Williams in letting Russell drive the Mercedes...in that his performance against Bottas
(and by extension Hamilton) might give them some idea of where they are with the Williams.
In the sense that... if he does well against Bottas then it indicates that any improvements in the Williams performance will come more from car development than because Russell is underperforming the car.

Originally Posted by yco

timing is not bad for such a thing at least..



i believe Russell is more like a mid or long-term project for Merc' but i dont know about the regs that can let that happen right away for this weekend as a replacement.. Merc' and Williams is not like Red Bull and Alpha Tauri in the end.. maybe they can i dont know..

i agree for comparing part but expecting Russel to outperform Bottas right away is a possibility but quite minor.. and probably Merc' is tracking his performance a lot a lot detailed way than we talk here already.. jumping into W11 d be a great thing for Russell but he is already progressing towards there.. Wolff is a very clever guy..

If I'm not mistaken, Russell is actually under contract with Mercedes. Part of the Merc-Williams engine deal is that Russell has that guaranteed seat. It might not be that difficult to pull him from the Williams car and put him in the Merc.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5theonlyone

Vandoorne! Throw an unknown into the fray.

Vandoorne would win the race in the Merc...Guaranteed !

You know It's the driver and NOT the car !

[apexit4]

Originally Posted by yco

timing is not bad for such a thing at least..



i believe Russell is more like a mid or long-term project for Merc' but i dont know about the regs that can let that happen right away for this weekend as a replacement.. Merc' and Williams is not like Red Bull and Alpha Tauri in the end.. maybe they can i dont know..

i agree for comparing part but expecting Russel to outperform Bottas right away is a possibility but quite minor.. and probably Merc' is tracking his performance a lot a lot detailed way than we talk here already.. jumping into W11 d be a great thing for Russell but he is already progressing towards there.. Wolff is a very clever guy..

The only thing stopping such a swap would be contracts, but it seems contracts in F1 are made to be broken

Keep in mind such a swap happened recently (2017 I think) when Sainz made the switch to Renault from Toro Rosso towards the end of the season. Pierre Gasly replaced him there and Jolyon Palmer was the unlucky person in that swap.

[racerbruce]

Get well HAM and we ask for a full recovery.

[yco]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPeaches

If I'm not mistaken, Russell is actually under contract with Mercedes. Part of the Merc-Williams engine deal is that Russell has that guaranteed seat. It might not be that difficult to pull him from the Williams car and put him in the Merc.

Originally Posted by apexit4

The only thing stopping such a swap would be contracts, but it seems contracts in F1 are made to be broken

Keep in mind such a swap happened recently (2017 I think) when Sainz made the switch to Renault from Toro Rosso towards the end of the season. Pierre Gasly replaced him there and Jolyon Palmer was the unlucky person in that swap.

yeah probably.. and since its an extra-ordinary year Russell could be swapped way or another if really wanted..

[MKSixer]

Devastating news but not as bad as it could be as the WDC is complete. My choice for replacement is the following:

Me - I just need to find my sUpER LiCenSe and lose 30 lbs in 3 days.

George Russel for obvious reasons.

Stoffel Vandoren because he is the reserve driver.

The Hulk - not the green one but the one with a super license.

Predicted outcome: The W11 isn't as easy to drive and 7ewis extracts maximum performance from the vehicle.

Pole: Perez

Results:

Perez
Bottas
Stroll

The Pink W10 is better suited for this track configuration than The Black Arrow, which excels in low and medium speed turns.

[NickyC]

He’ll be fine, this ain’t Ebola.

With the inaccuracy of the PCR tests who even knows if he has it. Good thing the championship was already locked up!

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by MKSixer

Devastating news but not as bad as it could be as the WDC is complete. My choice for replacement is the following:

Me - I just need to find my sUpER LiCenSe and lose 30 lbs in 3 days.

George Russel for obvious reasons.

Stoffel Vandoren because he is the reserve driver.

The Hulk - not the green one but the one with a super license.

Predicted outcome: The W11 isn't as easy to drive and 7ewis extracts maximum performance from the vehicle.

Pole: Perez

Results:

Perez
Bottas
Stroll

The Pink W10 is better suited for this track configuration than The Black Arrow, which excels in low and medium speed turns.

Just got a notification from Stoffel Vandoorne :
If Toto follows Stoffel's contract . Stoffel has to replace HAM !
I know that Stoffel is currently in Spain , for F1-E drive tests...

According the latest rumours : Stoffel is on a plane , heading to Bahrain.
It's not 100% sure . But probably HAM will be replaced by the Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne
Of course as always , Toto has the last word in the whole situation ..

Note : I'm sorry my friend , to hear the bad news regarding HAM !
HAM tested "twice" COVID positive . Damn virus !!!

[Ngilbe36]

I hope we will see Russell fill the spot, but I doubt it. Williams needs him to grab a few points to jump ahead of Haas still.

I hope Ham a speedy recovery!

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by NickyC

He’ll be fine, this ain’t Ebola.

With the inaccuracy of the PCR tests who even knows if he has it. Good thing the championship was already locked up!

Depends of HAM's blood-type and the reaction of his immune system !
As far as I know : So far has COVID , 12 mutations ..
I got one of them , It was the Kawasaki variant-mutation . Kawasaki won't show up in the COVID test .
I can tell you mate : My stomach and intestines are still not fine . It's now 4-5 weeks ago ! Still feel it today !
Kawasaki hammered me completely down ! I was incapacitated for work for 8 days !
Ask MKSixer he got Kawasaki as well ..
4 of them is high fever and damaged lungs . Even young people die from it...

This ain't Ebola ?
Well mate . Ebola and COVID are both RNA-viruses..

[NickyC]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Depends of HAM's blood-type and the reaction of his immune system !
As far as I know : So far has COVID , 12 mutations ..
I got one of them , It was the Kawasaki variant-mutation . Kawasaki won't show up in the COVID test .
I can tell you mate : My stomach and intestines are still not fine . It's now 4-5 weeks ago ! Still feel it today !
Kawasaki hammered me completely down ! I was incapacitated for work for 8 days !
Ask MKSixer he got Kawasaki as well ..
4 of them is high fever and damaged lungs . Even young people die from it...

This ain't Ebola ?
Well mate . Ebola and COVID are both RNA-viruses..

Survival rate for most age groups is 99.99%, we know this now. Politics forum is gone so I’m not getting into it, but the fear porn days are over.

Glad you’re feeling better. I had it too, the regular flu was worse in many ways.

Hamilton will be fine, just like every other high profile person in sports we’ve heard about testing positive because they are statistically at zero risk from this thing.

[MassNerd]

Originally Posted by NickyC

Survival rate for most age groups is 99.99%, we know this now. Politics forum is gone so I’m not getting into it, but the fear porn days are over.

Glad you’re feeling better. I had it too, the regular flu was worse in many ways.

Hamilton will be fine, just like every other high profile person in sports we’ve heard about testing positive because they are statistically at zero risk from this thing.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by NickyC

Survival rate for most age groups is 99.99%, we know this now. Politics forum is gone so I’m not getting into it, but the fear porn days are over.

Glad you’re feeling better. I had it too, the regular flu was worse in many ways.

Hamilton will be fine, just like every other high profile person in sports we’ve heard about testing positive because they are statistically at zero risk from this thing.

Mate ,8 people died in my small village over here , young and old .
I know these people . May they RIP !
This beast ain't no joke ! Almost 1.5 million people died => https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

The vaccines are a joke . They just protect you for "one" of the COVID mutations.
And for how long...The vaccine anti-bodies remain only 4-5 months in our system !
Side effects ? Ain't no good !
The confusion will be even worse with the vaccine , who is still protected ? And who is not ? Is it still working ?
It's a F* disaster , that's for sure...

[tdott]

Originally Posted by NickyC

He’ll be fine, this ain’t Ebola.

With the inaccuracy of the PCR tests who even knows if he has it. Good thing the championship was already locked up!

He was retested to confirm, they didn't say it was a PCR test, it could have been a more reliable one.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by tdott

He was retested to confirm, they didn't say it was a PCR test, it could have been a more reliable one.

My blood sample was COVID negative .Got both tests . 2 X negative . While I had the damn Kawasaki !

I strongly believe , science has not much knowledge regarding COVID ...and the mutations .
If you hear them , they can cure everything . While they really s@ck !