Vettel to miss second race of 2022, as Hulkenberg steps in for Aston Martin in Saudi Arabia

Sebastian Vettel will miss his second consecutive race of 2022, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the German still recovering from contracting Covid-19 ahead of the season-opening race in Bahrain.

The news means that, as in Bahrain, Nico Hulkenberg will be called up for Aston Martin, with the German having remained in the Middle East in case he was required to jump into the AMR22.

Hulkenberg will now get to experience the dramatic Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the very first time, following a difficult opening Grand Prix for Aston Martin in Sakhir, which saw neither Hulkenberg nor Lance Stroll score.

WEEKEND WARM-UP: The drivers get ready to return to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit

“It was interesting,” said Hulkenberg after the race. “It was difficult, very difficult to be honest – first time [racing] obviously in a long, long time. There’s so many things happening in the race, it’s so dynamic, the car balance is changing, the fuel load is changing, so it’s difficult to keep up with all these changes and stay on top of things.”

Hulkenberg’s number 27 Aston Martin will take to the track along with the 19 other runners when Free Practice 1 for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix begins at 1700 local time.

Meanwhile, the team confirmed that they expect Vettel – currently recovering in Europe, having flown home after the Official Pre-Season Test in Bahrain – to be fit for the Australian Grand Prix weekend, taking place on April 8-10.