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Huge Blow for Alfa Romeo F1 as Raikkonen Set to Miss Dutch GP With Kubica Named as Replacement

Published 09/04/2021, 3:52 AM EDT

Ahead of the race weekend at Zandvoort, Kimi Raikkonen announced his retirement from F1 following the end of the ongoing season. And now, with his days in F1 numbered, the Alfa Romeo driver, has suffered a massive blow by falling into the trap of COVID-19.

Yes, the Iceman has tested positive for COVID-19. Raikkonen is the first driver to test contract the virus since Charles Leclerc, who tested positive ahead of the 2021 season. Now, the Finn is also the 5th driver to test positive, only after Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, Lewis Hamilton, and Leclerc.

Raikkonen was looking quite well throughout Friday’s FP1 and FP2 sessions, hardly showing any kind of symptoms. However, the latest test report has detected that the Finn has been holding onto the deadly viruses.

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And hence, the soon-to-retire Alfa Romeo driver will head into quarantining, and will not be taking part over the rest of the weekend.

Also, Alfa Romeo have a massive undertaking ahead, as the outfit will have to test every single one of the crew members who were in contact with Raikkonen over the past 24 hours.

Who will replace the Alfa Romeo driver at the Dutch Grand Prix?

This is the biggest question! And of course, Alfa Romeo does have an answer to this question. Robert Kubica is the driver who will be replacing Raikkonen for the rest of the weekend in North Holland.

Kubica has been an active reserve driver for Alfa Romeo throughout the 2021 season. The Pole also featured in 3 different practice sessions this year, at the Styrian Grand Prix, Spanish Grand Prix, and lately at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

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Reserve driver Robert Kubica will compete in this weekend’s #DutchGP. Robert, in car #88, will take the place of Kimi Räikkönen, who tested positive to Covid-19. 🗞️ pic.twitter.com/eK5OCQx5om
— Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN (@alfaromeoracing) September 4, 2021

Apart from the on-track running, Kubica has completed a load of running on the simulator, playing a crucial role in the development of Alfa Romeo’s 2021 challenger.

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Hence, despite the disappointing return to F1 as a full-time driver in 2019, Kubica is certainly a driver to watch out for. So, with Kubica set to race in F1 for the first time since the 2019 season-ender, what can we expect from the Pole?

Watch Story: From Drunk Gala to Dry Responses: Kimi Raikkonen’s Funniest Moments

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Written by:

Rohit Kumar is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. He has been an ardent follower of the racing series since 2007, with his love for the sport coinciding with his love for Kimi Raikkonen. He is also an ardent follower of Sebastian Vettel and Aston Martin Racing.

Huge Blow for Alfa Romeo F1 as Raikkonen Set to Miss Dutch GP With Kubica Named as Replacement

Who will replace the Alfa Romeo driver at the Dutch Grand Prix?

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