On Thursday, it was announced that Serigo Perez, driver at Racing Point, tested positive for covid-19 and was quarantined. Minutes before the first training session was to start, it became clear that it was Nico Hulkenberg who would be his replacement.

The 32-year-old German drove Formula 1 as late as last year, then in Renualt, but lost his place before 2020. He has also driven for Racing Point earlier in his career, 2012 and 2014–2016.

- Nico has been with us for a long time. He knows the engineers, he has driven our simulator and he knows how we work, says Otmar Szafnauer, stable manager at Racing Point, to Formula 1's official website.

Went before the reserve drivers

Racing Point has an agreement with Mercedes that gives them access to their reserve drivers, Stoffel Vandoorne and Esteban Gutiérrez, if the regular drivers for some reason can not drive. Vandoorne also drives Formula E and was not available this weekend and the choice was then between Gutiérrez or Hulkenberg.

- Nico knows the team much better than what Esteban (Gutiérrez) does and in this short time we had to decide, it was a key to find someone who understands the team, says Szafnauer

Hulkenberg makes his 177th race this weekend and is the driver with the most races in Formula 1 without a single podium place. Perez will miss both races at Silverstone, but so far it has not been confirmed whether it is Hulkenberg who will replace him in both races.