OFFICIAL: Nico Hulkenberg to sub for sick Lance Stroll at Racing Point

Eifel Grand Prix

OFFICIAL: Hulkenberg to sub for sick Stroll at Racing Point

Hulkenberg will make his third appearance of 2020

Sam Hall

Saturday 10 October 2020 14:15 Updated: 14:23

Racing Point has confirmed Nico Hulkenberg will make his third appearance for the team this season after Lance Stroll was ruled out of the Eifel Grand Prix through illness.

Hulkenberg will follow up his two Silverstone outings for Racing Point by deputising for Stroll at the Nurburgring, after previously standing in for Sergio Perez after the Mexican tested positive for Covid-19.

Although unable to start his first race of the season as the RP20 failed to fire up before the British Grand Prix, the German made amends at the 70th Anniversary GP in which he qualified third and finished seventh.

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Hulkenberg confirmed the news himself by tweeting the hashtag #HulkenBack before Racing Point followed suit.

back to #hulkenback @RacingPointF1 @F1 pic.twitter.com/WvLsYW54Xf
— Nico Hülkenberg (@HulkHulkenberg) October 10, 2020

"Nico Hülkenberg will drive for the BWT Racing Point F1 Team in this weekend’s Eifel Grand Prix after Lance Stroll was taken unwell," read the official statement.

"Lance did not feel 100% this morning and the team took the decision not to run him for the rest of the event.

"Nico, who previously deputised for Sergio Perez at the Silverstone events, is familiar with the car and team already, and fortunately was in nearby Cologne."

Midway through final practice at the Nürburgring, Racing Point confirmed Stroll would take no part in the session as the Canadian was "not feeling 100 per cent".

The statement continued that: "His condition will be assessed after the session to evaluate whether he is fit to drive, at which point the team will confirm plans for qualifying."

Speculation grew instantly that either Vandoorne, who was on site at the circuit, or Hulkenberg may be called into action.

The whereabouts of Hulkenberg, although initially unknown, quickly became obvious as the German posted an image of his car parked by the start line rollercoaster at the track, with the image overlaid with a questioning face emoji.

Further images quickly surfaced of the driver running through the Nürburgring paddock in team overalls before the team issued confirmation that he would again be climbing into the cockpit.