Lance Stroll admitted he was completely surprised by his positive Covid-19 test after the Eifel Grand Prix.
The Racing Point driver was unable to participate at the Nurburgring due to illness but had tested negative for the virus in his pre-weekend test.
It was only when he returned home and underwent his scheduled Covid test on Sunday that the positive result came back, this despite the advice Stroll received from his doctor.
“I had an upset stomach,” he said on Thursday in Portugal. “I spoke to my private physician who didn’t think it was Covid.
“Therefore I flew home the next day, knowing I wasn’t going to race, and I got my general Covid test that I get on a Sunday evening after a race weekend.
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“I have no idea how I contracted it,” he added.
“I flew back to Switzerland where I got tested Sunday evening and my father got tested as well and we both tested positive that Sunday evening in Switzerland.”
In response to Stroll’s situation, Racing Point was given an official warning by the FIA for not immediately reporting his positive test.
Also, now all F1 personnel must take another Covid-19 test within 24 hours of entering the paddock, this in addition to the mandatory test every five days.
Reflecting on the situation, Lance admits he does regret waiting until he returned home before getting a test.
“Hindsight’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “At the time I didn’t know I had Covid, I didn’t think I had Covid.
“Like I said I had the same symptoms from Russia, I wasn’t feeling well, I had an upset stomach and I tested negative twice. In Germany, I had an upset stomach so I didn’t assume it was Covid.
“In hindsight, yes, I had Covid at that time and I should have got tested. Like I said I spoke to my doctor, we came to the conclusion that we didn’t think it was Covid and therefore I got my usual test.
“I came into the weekend, tested negative and was cleared to race. My next scheduled test was Sunday evening at the end of the weekend and I stuck to that plan with the conclusion, speaking to my doctor, that it wasn’t Covid.”
As it is, though Nico Hulkenberg is in Portugal as a precaution, Stroll tested negative for Covid on Monday and he’s excited to get back out on track on Friday.
“I’m feeling good,” he said. “My symptoms were very mild. I didn’t really struggle so I’m happy to be back and looking forward to the weekend.
“Since I tested negative on Monday, I’ve been starting up my cardio again and I feel good, I feel like I’m in great shape and I look forward to getting in the car tomorrow.”