FIA World Endurance Championship will be slightly different this weekend, due to infection hitting several people in the paddock.
Gabriel Aubry was suspected to be infected with COVID-19 yesterday and was denied access to the Spa Francorchamps paddock.
He was a part of the European Le Mans Series race weekend last week, so his team, Algarve Pro Racing was also isolated.
Aubry got a second test made, and that turned out positive. So everyone who has been in contact with him over the last few days also had to be isolated. That was three people from JOTA (Jackie Chan DC Racing), which is his FIA WEC team, 16 persons from Algarve Pro Racing, three technicians from Goodyear (tire supplier for APR), and a single Rebellion Racing mechanic.
Three of those tests from APR team members have turned out positive – one driver and two team members. The other tests are negative for now.
That has resulted in Algarve Pro Racing not running this weekend’s FIA WEC race, which was originally planned as extra preparation for Le Mans.
None of the persons with positive tests shows symptoms, but all the affected persons with both positive and negative results, won’t be allowed into the WEC paddock this weekend.
Gabriel Aubry has been replaced at Jackie Chan DC Racing #37 by Ryan Cullen. Cullen races for DragonSpeed in ELMS, so he already know the ORECA 07 Gibson car and has experience from the track from last weekend.
The FIA World Endurance Championship will do qualifying laster today, before the 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps will be run tomorrow afternoon at 13.30 CET.