The soon-to-be-retiring Kimi Raikkonen will be unable to drive for Alfa Romeo at this weekend’s 2021 Italian Grand Prix following his positive test for Covid-19.
The soon-to-be 42-year-old had to sit out last weekend’s 2021 Dutch Grand Prix and has yet to be cleared for return and will be replaced by Alfa Romeo reserve driver Robert Kubica, as he did last weekend.
However, unlike last weekend’s snoozefest, Kubica will be getting his first taste of Formula 1’s new ‘sprint qualifying’ format, which was introduced at the 2021 British Grand Prix in July.
Under the sprint qualifying format, qualifying is set for Friday afternoon, followed by a one-third distance race on Saturday which sets the grid for the grand prix on Sunday.