Hulkenberg ready to replace Vettel again: 'On standby'

Sebastian Vettel was hoping to start the season well with Aston Martin, but faced disaster prior to the Bahrain Grand Prix. A coronavirus infection forced him into quarantine and Nico Hulkenberg replaced him. The latter driver is taking into account that he will have to fill in once again.

The German could make little impression in Bahrain. Hulkenberg finished in seventeenth place and remained far away from the points. His teammate Lance Stroll also didn't get further than twelfth place, so the problem seems to lie mainly with Aston Martin.

In recent months, the racing team has repeatedly expressed the hope that it will be able to compete for the world title within a few seasons, but it seems to be further away than ever. For Aston Martin, it is especially to be hoped that Vettel can get back into his car as soon as possible, but it remains to be seen whether he will be ready for the GP of Saudi Arabia, which takes place this weekend.

"We don’t know yet [if Vettel will race]," Hulkenberg let Formula1.com know. "I think it’s a matter of waiting a couple of days, seeing how Seb is. If he’s fit to race or not, I’ll be in the area anyway, to be ready and on standby"