Lance Stroll has been ruled out of the Eifel Grand Prix due to illness and will be replaced at Racing Point by Nico Hulkenberg.
Stroll did not participate in FP3 due to feeling unwell and thus missed the only practice session prior to qualifying at the Nürburgring, given Friday’s track action was abandoned.
Hulkenberg was due to be present at the venue on Saturday for broadcast duties, having been in nearby Cologne, but will now instead get behind the wheel of the Racing Point RP20.
He undertook a rapid test for Covid-19 upon arrival at the circuit and it returned negative, allowing him access into the paddock and into Racing Point’s facilities.
It will be Hulkenberg’s third appearance of the campaign with the team after he replaced Sergio Perez at Silverstone, when the Mexican tested positive for Covid-19.
Hulkenberg was unable to start the first race at the British venue due to a mechanical issue but classified seventh in the second event the following weekend.
Hulkenberg has prior Formula 1 experience at the Nürburgring having participated in the 2013 grand prix at the venue.
He also claimed a double victory at the circuit during his title-winning GP2 Series campaign in 2009.
Under Formula 1 regulations a driver is permitted to participate in qualifying even after missing all practice sessions.
This is because qualifying is classified as a practice session.
The last time a driver entered a race weekend with such little preparation was in 2017, when Paul di Resta was drafted in to Williams to replace an unwell Felipe Massa.
Racing Point also had Mercedes reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne – also present at the Nürburgring – on standby if Hulkenberg was not available.
