Wolff doesn't blame Hamilton for trip to Dubai: "That's just bad luck"

Lewis Hamilton is the big absentee at the Bahrain circuit this weekend. He tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week and now has to watch from the sidelines as his replacement George Russell leads the timesheets. Although Toto Wolff doubts whether the champion will watch.

"His priority is to get better," Wolff quoted by Motorsport-Total.com. "I'm not sure he'll be following in detail everything that happens on the track this weekend when you're in bed and you're not well. Then racing comes second," said Wolff, who also indicated that Hamilton is suffering from symptoms.

Hamilton doesn't need permission from Wolff

The fact that he has picked up the infection at all, the Mercedes team boss will not blame his driver. There are so many people who are infected right now, including many colleagues in the F1 paddock, that it is pure bad luck that he contracted COVID-19.

"Lewis doesn't need permission. He drives everything he wants, jumps out of every plane the way he wants - because he knows what's best for him. He's a grown man, this was never a problem. And then you go to Dubai. 'Do you wear a mask all the time and come back with Coronavirus?'. That's just bad luck. Just ask Mario [Isola] where he got it. He probably won't know either."

This article was written and originally published by Pelle on the Dutch edition of GPblog.com.