Breaking news
Formula 1
Perez's COVID positive "a stark reminder" for F1 - Horner
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says Sergio Perez's positive COVID-19 test result is a "stark reminder" to Formula 1 of the risks it still faces around the world.
Luke Smith
Edited: Jul 31, 2020, 1:43 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The FIA announced on Thursday that Perez had tested positive for COVID-19 following an inconclusive first result, ruling him out of the British Grand Prix race weekend.
It marked the first case of COVID-19 for an F1 driver, and is just the third positive result since F1 began its strict testing and tracing protocols in Austria earlier this month.
Teams have been working with reduced personnel on-site and enforcing 'bubbles' to reduce contact between crew members and reduce the risks in play.
But Red Bull chief Horner said Perez's positive test result proved that F1 still must be vigilant and aware of the risks of contracting COVID-19.
"It's a stark reminder," Horner said during Friday's FIA press conference at Silverstone.
"Sometimes in Formula 1, we feel we're a bit isolated and we all live in our own bubbles anyway.
"But I think that when it happens to somebody like Perez, a driver who is affected like that, it's a stark reminder that these procedures are here for a reason.
"The procedures we take as a team and collectively as Formula 1, we do everything that we can to ensure that as little unnecessary contact is made either at the race event, away from the race event, or within the factory.
"It is very difficult, but it's a stark reminder that this thing hasn't gone away yet. It's still out there. We're going to be travelling to countries where there are second waves and peaks that are still bubbling away.
"That's where as a group, as Formula 1, we do need to keep that discipline with the procedures that are in place.
"I think it was handled well, and it's been executed well by the FIA and by the team."
Read Also:
Perez remains asymptomatic despite his positive test, and has explained his decision to travel to Mexico on a private plane following the last race in Hungary, which was within the FIA's code of conduct.
Perez was not the only driver to travel overseas since the last race in Hungary, with Haas driver Romain Grosjean taking a holiday in Greece before coming to Silverstone.
Haas F1 chief Gunther Steiner said it was important for F1 to remain responsible, and that all of his team members had been instructed to follow the guidelines set out by the FIA.
"The FIA and the team handled it well, because we just allow people to keep to the guidelines and not to do anything different, but we know it can happen," Steiner said.
"As we found out, it can get everybody, but then again it's got a good reaction to it to limit it, to spread anymore, so we just have to be responsible each of us.
"We cannot follow each person to [see] what he is doing outside of the racetracks, so hopefully we can be all responsible and sooner or later this virus is going away.
"Our team is instructed to behave by the guidelines."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Giovinazzi handed warning after British GP practice incident
Next article Racing Point has no issues with Perez’s Mexican trip
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Luke Smith
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
Formula 1
Formula 1
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Formula 1
Formula 1
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Formula 1
Formula 1
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
More from
Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez to skip F1 Mexico GP fan forum due to illness
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Sergio Perez to skip F1 Mexico GP fan forum due to illness
Sergio Perez praises Colton Herta impact - but has no say over 2027 Cadillac F1 team-mate choice
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Sergio Perez praises Colton Herta impact - but has no say over 2027 Cadillac F1 team-mate choice
The 10 key moments that defined Sergio Perez's F1 career
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
The 10 key moments that defined Sergio Perez's F1 career
Latest news
MotoGP Malaysian GP: Marc Marquez takes dominant win to inch closer to title
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
11 min
MotoGP Malaysian GP: Marc Marquez takes dominant win to inch closer to title
MotoGP riders step up pressure in final bid to avoid Qatar Grand Prix
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
52 min
MotoGP riders step up pressure in final bid to avoid Qatar Grand Prix
Live: MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix as it happens
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
1 h
Live: MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix as it happens
Carson Kvapil gets Rodney Childers a clock and the O'Reilly Chase is wide open now
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Martinsville II
2 h
Carson Kvapil gets Rodney Childers a clock and the O'Reilly Chase is wide open now
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe