Sebastian Vettel has been declared fit to take part in next Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion, 34, has been sidelined for the opening two races of the new F1 season with coronavirus. But Vettel's Aston Martin team confirmed he will return for F1's first visit to Melbourne in two years.
The British team said: "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 Australian Grand Prix."
And his return to the track is timely, given Aston Martin are without a point following a poor start to the season. Vettel's Covid-replacement, Aston Martin's reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg, finished 17th and last in Bahrain and then 12th in Saudi Arabia last weekend.
Stroll meanwhile, has only managed finishes of 12th and 13th, leaving the team in desperate need of a top ten finish down under. Indeed, the track in Victoria holds happy memories for the German driver, having won there with Red Bull en route to the title in 2011, and also twice with Ferrari in 2017 and 2018.
After two rounds of pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, Vettel produced a positive test just one day before qualifying began in the Middle East. And after missing the opener, he failed to recover in time to take his place at the Jeddah Street Circuit either.
After six years with the Scuderia, Vettel joined Aston Martin ahead of the 2021 campaign, but endured an underwhelming season, finishing 12th with just 43 points. His one podium finish came when he finished second at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, although he was denied another runners up spot in Hungary after being disqualified following the race.
However, as a consolation he did edge out Fernando Alsonso to the inaugural overtake award. And having triggered the option of a one year extension to his contract, both he and Stroll had been tipped to benefit from the new technical regulations brought in for 2022.
Aston Martin haven't been the only side to struggle to adapt to adapt to the overhaul though. The likes of McLaren, and most noticeably Mercedes, have been way off the pace set by Ferrari and Red Bull.
The last Melbourne race took place in 2019, where then Silver Arrows driver Valtteri Bottas prevailed. The drivers were at the venue in 2020 when the the event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The country's strict rules surrounding the virus then meant the Grand Prix wasn't included in the rearranged schedule for that year, and it was also omitted from the 2021 calendar. The venue had previously become the traditional season opener.
It's Charles Leclerc who will arrive as the early leader in the standings on 45 points following his win in Bahrain and narrow second placed finish in Saudi Arabia. Team-mate Carlos Sainz is second on 33.
