After Qualifying for the F1 Spanish GP took place on Saturday, Aston Martin released a team statement that evening. The team explained that their driver, Lance Stroll, would not partake in the race for the Spanish GP, as he had been experiencing pain in his hand and wrist. The pain was related to the procedure he received in 2023 after a cycling accident.
Shortly after the statement was released, BBC wrote ahead of the race that sources claimed Stroll had lost his temper after the qualifying session. He allegedly swore at team members and was damaging equipment in the garage. When asked about the incident, an Aston Martin spokesperson claimed the two events were unrelated, and simply said “Lance was upset” in response to the claims.
Another Aston Martin source later claimed there was no damage to any equipment. The source also denied that Stroll swore at team members in the garage.
Failed to follow regulations after qualifying
Additionally, it is notable that the FIA investigated the Canadian driver after qualifying at the Spanish GP as he failed to follow the mandatory regulations. The FIA requires all drivers to go to the weighing scales immediately after they finish the qualifying session, which Stroll failed to do.
The stewards noted that: “We reviewed the video footage from the garage which showed the driver of Car 18 [Stroll] exiting the car and leaving the garage from the back and not proceeding through the pit lane as required.”
It was specified that Stroll sent the stewards a letter in which he explained he needed “urgent medical attention”. He was in pain, therefore skipping the requirement of heading to the weighing scales.
The stewards ended up simply giving the driver a warning as “He attended the weigh-in and the media pen as soon as he was able to, before heading to the medical centre for further evaluation.”
Uncertainty if Stroll be present at the Canadian GP
The next race on the calendar is only two weeks away, and it happens to be the Canadian GP, Stroll’s home race. Stroll will undergo a procedure in order to rectify the issue he is experiencing in his hand and wrist. When the Canadian underwent a procedure in 2023 after having broken both wrists during the pre-season, he was able to bounce back quickly and impressively be back in the car in two-weeks time.
The problem for Aston Martin would be to figure out who they should put in the car for the next race, if Stroll is not able to recover in time. Both Aston Martin reserve drivers, Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne are to race at Le Mans during the Canadian GP weekend.
Drugovich will likely skip Le Mans, if needed, as he has been patiently waiting for his chance to prove himself in F1. In addition to their two reserve drivers, Valtteri Bottas could also be an option for them, as Aston Martin are currently using Mercedes power units which gives them access to their reserve drivers as well.
While the Aston Martin team also has their development driver, Jak Crawford, he unfortunately does not have enough points for a super license which means that he is not an option to replace Stroll at the moment.
It will be interesting to see what Aston Martin will do if they need someone to step in for the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
