Formula One Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has become the second Formula 1 driver to test positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus in 2021.
The 23-year-old announced the news on his Twitter account and “…will remain in isolation in my home in Monaco in compliance with the regulations set by the local health authorities.”
Leclerc becomes the second F1 driver to test positive for Covid-19 after 21-year-old McLaren driver Lando Norris, tested positive earlier this month while on holiday in Dubai.
The two positive tests highlight the reason why the 2021 Formula One racing season has been delayed from its originally scheduled start in March at the Australian Grand Prix. That race, which was originally scheduled for March 21, 2021, was moved instead to a November 21, 2021 date due to Australia’s strict Covid-19 restrictions.
The F1 season is now scheduled to begin on March 28, 2021 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Leclerc and Norris join Racing Point drivers Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll and Mercedes’ world champion Lewis Hamilton as all having tested positive for Covid-19 since the pandemic’s outbreak last year.