Hulk𒀰enberg was drafted in to replace Vettel at the💯 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after the four-time world champion was ruled out of the event due to testing positive for COVID-19. 

Aston Martin confirmed on Thursday that Vettel was still waiting to return the🐻 required negative test in order to travel to Saudi Arabia.

Hulkenberg will be in Jeddah to deputise for his compatriot if necessary but Aston Martin says it will delay a final decision until Friday “to provide Seb every ✃opportunity to race”. 

Should Vettel not return a negative COVID-19 test in time, then Hulkenberg will continue to deputise for Aston Martin at the second race of the seꦇa✨son. 

The 34-year-old finished last of the classified finishes in 17th in Bahrain, having not raced for over a year since his last F1 substitute appearance for the Silverstone-based outf൩it at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix. 

“We don’t know yet [if Vettel will race],” Hulkenberg said after the Bahrain Grand Prix. "I think it’s a matter of waiting a🦄 couple of days, seeing how Seb is. If he’s fit to race or not, I’ll be in the area anyway, to be ready and onꦜ standby.

Speaking a💖bout his first race in over a year, Hulkenberg added: “It was interesting. 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.

“So, it was difficult. I didn’t really have one big mistake – I think I out-braked myself once trying to overtake someone and from then onwards it seemed to get a bit more difficult for me. But yes, it was always goin🅷g to be tough to expect much more than that.”