Lance Stroll has revealed that he returned a positive test for co𝓰ronavirus following Formula 1's Eif🐠el Grand Prix.

The Racing Point driver missed the las🃏t round in Germany after falling unwell, with 𒆙Nico Hulkenberg stepping in to fill the seat alongside Sergio Perez.

Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer had said t𒅌hat Stroll had tested negative for COVID-19 on multiple occasions in the build up to the Nurburgrin𒈔g race.

Stroll revealed he tested positive for the virus on Sunday 11 October - race day at the Eifel Grand Prix - but is now negative and will participate in this wee🎀kend’s Portuguese Grand Prix.

“I just want to let everyone know that I recently tested positive for Covid-19 after the Eifel GP weekend,” Stroll said in ꦗa statement posted on Instagram.

“I a𒀰m feeling 10ꦇ0 per cent and have since tested negative.

“To fill you all in on what hap🍰pened, I arrived at the Nurburgring after testing nega💎tive in the normal pre-race tests.

“On Satur🐲day morning I started to feel unw🧸ell and woke up with an upset stomach. I followed the FIA protocol and self-isolated in my motorhome and did not re-enter the paddock.

“I wasn’t fit to race so I f⛦lew home early Sunday morning. As I was still feeling under the weather I took a Covid test on Sunday ❀evening.

“The next day the results came back positive, so I stayed at home self-isolating for ඣthe next 10 days. Luckily my symptoms were prettꦚy mild.

“I was tested again on Monday this week and my results were negative. I feel in great ღshape and I can’t wait to be back with the team and 🍷to race in Portugal.”

Stroll is the second F1 driver to have contracted COVID-19 this season, after his teammat🐠e Perez was forced to skip both Silverstone races earlier this year.

After the last race, the FIA had insꦗisted that Stroll's il๊lness did not expose any loophole in F1's COVID-19 testing protocols. 

Due to taking aও COVID-19 test on Tuesday and being negative, Stroll was allowed to enter the paddock on Thursday and Friday before he ultimately withdrew from the event on Saturday. 

With F1 personnel and drivers tested every five days for COVID-19, Stroll🎉's next test came on Sunday - when he was positive.

"We don't feel there is any loophole," F1 race director Michael Masi said. "The requirement for Lance, or any other attendee on that matter, there are the various time requirements to test pr🍸io🌺r to entering the paddock, and then the follow up testing from that point.

"Based on the Tuesday test, his next test would have🐲 been Sunday morning to fulfil the requirements of the FIA COVID protocol. So that one is quite simp🐼le.

"With regards to Lance feeling ill, like any other driver, it's incumbent upon the driver and the competitor, in this case, Racing Point, to det🤡ermine if they feel that their driver is not up to the capacity to drive the car, which they obviously did and chose to do yesterday.

"From the requirements wi♛thin Appendix S [of the FIA's COVID protocols], it's incumbent upon Racing Point as the stakeholder in this case and Lance himself as an attendee to declare within the parameters of the protocol if they are having any of those requirements, and then there is the requirement from there to report.

"None of꧒ that has been reported to the🐓 FIA, so there's nothing further from our perspective at this point in time."