Sergio Perez out of British GP after positive COVID-19 test

Racing Point driver Sergio Perez is out of Sunday's British Grand Prix after testing positive for COVID-19, Formula 1 announced Thursday.

Perez is the first known F1 driver to contract the disease that the coronavirus causes.

Prior to Perez, the sport had only recorded two positive results out of over 15,000 tests conducted between June 26 and July 23, and both weren't from people who attended races, according to Alan Baldwin of Reuters.

F1 chairman Chase Carey said before the new season that a positive test wouldn't result in canceling a race.

"We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual," Carey said.