Lance Stroll played no part in the race weekend at the Nurburgring, with both of the Friday practice sessions being cancelled due to poor weather and the Canadian withdrawing from the rest of the weekend due to him feeling unwell.
Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer said Stroll tested negative for coronavirus and wasn’t displaying “classic COVID-19 symptoms”, suggesting he may instead be suffering from a stomach bug.
READ: Red Bull Will Sack Albon If He Doesn’t Improve His Qualifying – Rosberg
Ex-Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve subsequently hit out at Lance Stroll, saying such symptoms should never stop an F1 driver from doing his job and competing.
“Even if you have a stomach ache or have not eaten for a whole week, you still go racing,” Villeneuve told Sky Italia.
“If you’re really hungry to make it in Formula 1 , you’re always going to race and not quit.
“So either Lance is really in a lot of pain, which means he has something bad going on, or he simply doesn’t have the absolute will to make it.”
Villeneuve has criticised Stroll on many occasions since he entered Formula One.
For example, in 2017, he said Stroll’s first season was the “worst rookie performances in the history of Formula 1”.
On Saturday, Nico Hulkenberg was called in at the last minute to deputise for Stroll for the remainder of the Eifel GP weekend.
With him not having driven a Formula One car since Silverstone a few months ago and not getting any practice at the Nurburgring, Hulkenberg qualified last on the grid.
READ: Steiner Isn’t ‘Angry’ With Grosjean & Magnussen For Exploring Options
Enjoyed reading this article? Consider sharing it: