SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom – With Sergio Perez sidelined due to a positive COVID-19 test, the BWT Racing Point F1 Team has turned to veteran driver Nico Hülkenberg for this weekend’s British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit.
Hülkenberg will race alongside the team’s other full-time driver, Lance Stroll, as the team looks to continue its positive momentum so far this year.
“Having to find a replacement for Sergio at short notice is no easy task, but in Nico we’ve got a fantastic supersub who the team knows very well,” said Otmar Szafnauer, CEO & Team Principal of the BWT Racing Point F1 Team. “He’s certainly being thrown in at the deep end, but he’s a fast learner and I’m sure he will get up to speed quickly.”
Hülkenberg’s association with the team began in 2011 as reserve driver, before graduating into a race seat for 2012. He raced for the team between 2014 and ’16. He’s made 177 Grand Prix starts during his career, with his most recent coming in 2019 for the Renault F1 Team.
“I was on my way to the Nürburgring for another racing project when the call from Otmar came,” Hülkenberg said. “That was less than 24 hours ago, so it feels a bit surreal for me right now, but I like a good challenge and this is certainly one. It’s obviously a difficult situation for Racing Point and Checo (Perez). He’s a buddy of mine, an old teammate and I wish him a speedy recovery. I’ll step in and try do the best I can for the team.”