Kimi Raikkonen has been ruled out of the Dutch Grand Prix after testing positive for Covid-19.

The FIA, Formula One and his Alfa Romeo team confirmed the news on Saturday morning just hours before qualifying was due to start at the Zandvoort circuit.

A statement from the FIA read: ‘The FIA, Formula 1 and Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN can today confirm that during onsite PCR testing for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen has tested positive for COVID-19.

‘In accordance with COVID-19 protocols he will take no further part in this Event. All contacts have been declared.

‘The procedures set out by the FIA and Formula 1 will ensure no wider impact on the Dutch Grand Prix.’

As well as announcing the positive test, Alfa Romeo confirmed that the 41-year-old is showing no symptoms of the disease and has gone into isolation.

‘Kimi is displaying no symptoms and is in good spirits’, the team said on Twitter. ‘He has immediately entered isolation in his hotel. The team wishes Kimi a speedy recovery.’

Alfa Romeo have acted swiftly to replace the veteran Finn by announcing the return of Robert Kubica to F1.

The Polish star is the team’s reserve driver and has been out of action since leaving the Williams team at the end of 2019 season.

The 36-year-old will be making his 98th start but his first for Alfa Romeo, although he has featured in three practice sessions this term.

In one of the team’s previous guises of BMW-Sauber they helped the Polish driver win his only grand prix in Canada in 2008 before he left the team a year later following BMW’s withdrawal from the sport. 

Raikkonen, who has contested the most grands prix of any other driver in the history of F1 with 342, announced this week that he will retire from the sport at the end of the season.

The 2008 world champion becomes the seventh driver known to have contracted the virus following Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly. 

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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