The Briton said he then requested another test which came back positive and he immediately started a 10-day self-isolation, ruling out the Sakhir Grand Prix and raising doubts about the Abu Dhabi finale on the following weekend.
Hamilton said he and his team had taken all possible precautions and followed all regulations to stay safe since the season started. Hamilton will not now be able to match the record for the most wins in a single season. Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel share that mark with 13. Formula One has seen a clutch of high-profile COVID-19 cases, with Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley testing positive last week and Williams acting team principal Simon Roberts missing the Turkish Grand Prix.