Vettel fit to race in Australia after COVID-19 absence

Sebastian Vettel will race for Aston Martin in Australia next week after missing the first two Grand Prix of the season due to COVID-19, the Formula One team said on Thursday.

Fellow German Nico Hulkenberg stood in for the four-times world champion at the Bahrain opener and in Saudi Arabia last weekend alongside Canadian regular Lance Stroll.

Aston Martin have yet to score a point in 2022, with Williams the only other team to have drawn a blank in both races.

"We are pleased to confirm that Sebastian Vettel is now fit to race and will therefore line up alongside @lance_stroll in Melbourne to kick off his 2022 @F1 season," Aston Martin said on Twitter.