Vettel to make F1 return for Australian GP after missing opening two rounds of 2022

Sebastian Vettel will return for the third round of the season in Australia after Covid-19 saw him miss the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

The four-time champion stepped aside for reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg to drive in the opening two rounds of the season, Vettel having tested positive for Covid-19. However, he will return for the weekend of April 8-10 at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit.

READ MORE: Las Vegas to host Formula 1 night race from 2023

“TEAM UPDATE: 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 at the @ausgrandprix,” tweeted Aston Martin on Thursday after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The team in green are – along with Williams – yet to score points ahead of the first Australian Grand Prix since 2019.

Meanwhile, ahead of his positive Covid-19 result – which came after the Official Pre-Season Test in Bahrain – Vettel opened up about the challenge of driving the 2022-spec Aston Martin AMR22, saying: “The car wants to be driven in a different way. I am playing with driving styles and what I can do. Equally we are playing with the car, we are trying to sort some problems that we have, some of the challenges that we’ve faced, find solutions.

READ MORE: ‘It’s going to be insane’ – The drivers react to Las Vegas’s return to the F1 calendar

“There is still a lot to do,” he added, “everybody is flat-out and there is still a very, very steep and high mountain to climb… but it's fun, I think the challenge is fun and the belief is there that one day we will reach that peak.”