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Szafnauer: 'He didn't feel well inside'

Szafnauer: 'He didn't feel well inside'

16-10-2020 15:18 Last update: 19:14
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GPblog.com

Lance Stroll only informed his team very late that he was unable to start the third free practice session at the Eifel GP last weekend. Only half an hour in advance the Canadian announced that he was too ill to leave his room.

It was a strange sight on Saturday. All the drivers had started their practice laps during the only free practice session of the Eifel GP, but it was very quiet in the garage of Lance Stroll. The 21-year old driver from Racing Point was nowhere to be seen. Halfway through the session it became known that Stroll was ill and that the team had to rush to find a replacement. Luckily Nico Hullkenberg was available, and he finished in an impressive eighth place on Sunday without any preparation.

No Covid-19

Otmar Szafnauer, team boss of the team based at Silverstone, tells RaceFans that his pupil had been feeling ill for some time. "He hasn’t been feeling great since Russia. Since we left Russia he hasn’t been that great, I think he had a bit of a cold. After that he was tested several times for the coronavirus, also on the Thursday before the race at the Nürburgring. He was negative each time. Lance also did not have the typical Covid symptoms, he did not feel well inside."

The Canadian was in such a bad shape that he couldn't even train ahead of the next race. "I don’t know if it’s something he ate or if it’s a tummy bug or what but he just said I’m not feeling up to it. He wanted to rest for the double race weekend soon. So it was a late decision. We hoped that he would feel better soon. He told us only 30 minutes before the start of the practice session. He wanted to, but he couldn't."