It was a strange Saturday for Racing Point, which saw them face disappointment at different times. But primarily, the big blow for the team was not having Lance Stroll due to an illness.

The nature of Stroll’s discomfort still remains unknown; however, Stroll’s mystery illness opened the door for Nico Hulkenberg to race in his stead at the Eifel Grand Prix this weekend.

And considering how the German failed to make a mark during Qualifying, the onus fell upon Sergio Perez to salvage what’s left of the weekend for the Silverstone-based outfit. The Mexican looked in good nick overall and will start the race in P9.

Racing Point handed a colossal blow in the fight for third

A considerable amount of race rust from having been banished to the shelf for months on end left Nico Hulkenberg at the mercy of fate. The German went all in, but could only muster up a measly P20 in qualifying.

Racing Point were dealt a tough hand at the Eifel Grand Prix following Lance Stroll’s unavailability while the teams P3 on the table hangs in the balance. With the likes of McLaren and Renault are breathing down their necks, tensions are bound to rise.

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Speaking to Motorsport Week, Perez was quoted as saying, “It all changed very quickly with Lance not coming in this morning, I could see some stress in the team. I didn’t really know what was happening. I hope health wise Lance is okay and we can have him back soon.”

Stroll enjoyed a great season with the podium at Monza and more; therefore, in that regard, not having an experienced professional hurts Racing Point’s ambitions.

Uncertain weather conditions beckon ahead of the Eifel GP

Despite the disappointment, things could change for the better as far as Sergio Perez and Racing Point are concerned. The fact that rain could have a say in tomorrow’s race adds to the intrigue.

It is here that Perez needs to be alert to step up to claim any slip-ups that the McLaren and Renault cars suffer. He will also take encouragement from his drive in Sochi that saw him bag a P4.

Should Perez replicate that kind of performance, it would give Racing Point a huge boost in the midfield battle. And if Stroll’s illness is not serious, that could see the team set up a great foundation going into the business end of the competition.