Racing Point thinks Lance Stroll will be "back in the car as normal" this weekend in Portugal.
1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve last week questioned the team's explanation that Stroll had to sit out the recent Nurburgring race with a stomach bug.
"Even with a stomach ache, you just go racing," he said.
A few days before Formula 1 gathers for the next race in Portugal, Racing Point is now saying that its 21-year-old driver is "feeling better".
"We're expecting him to be back in the car as normal for Portugal," the team added.
But not everyone is convinced that a simple stomach ache explains Stroll's absence from the cockpit in Germany.
"Apart from coronavirus, what else could make a driver not compete in a grand prix?" wondered Ziggo Sport reporter Jack Plooij.
"Yes, most of the drivers would race even with a sore stomach. If it gets really bad, you can always pull into the pits.
"Some have said that Lance had a falling out with his father. Supposedly, he wanted to fly from the hotel by helicopter but his father didn't allow it. So he refused to race," Plooij added.
