Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen will miss this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix following his positive test for Covid-19.
The Finn, 41, had to sit out last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix and has not been cleared to return.
Reserve driver Robert Kubica, who stepped in for Raikkonen on Saturday morning at Zandvoort, will once again deputise at the historic Monza circuit.
Raikkonen, who was said by the team to have no symptoms, is isolating at home.
Kubica will have his first experience of F1’s new ‘sprint qualifying’ format, which was first trialled at the British Grand Prix in July.
This involves moving qualifying to Friday afternoon, and that setting the grid for a one-third distance race on Saturday which sets the grid for the grand prix.
Kubica said: “First of all, I want to share my best wishes for Kimi: I hope he makes a full recovery and returns to the cockpit soon.
“I am looking forward to racing in Monza, an incredible track in which I claimed my first podium, in 2006. Unlike Zandvoort, it is a track I know well and this will help, particularly since the sprint qualifying weekend format means we will be one practice session short.
“I am happy with what I did in Holland and I can’t wait to help the team out one more time in Monza.”
