Lance Stroll didn’t take part in the Spanish Grand Prix last Sunday. His weekend ended after qualifying as he reported recurring pain in his hands and wrists.
According to the Aston Martin statement, Stroll has been nursing the discomfort for the past six weeks. It stems from a bike accident on the eve of the 2023 season that led to surgery.
It appears that the issue became so severe in Barcelona that Stroll wasn’t able to race. Aston couldn’t field a replacement because it was too far into the weekend.
As it stands, Stroll is expected to return for the Canadian GP, his home race. But the atmosphere at Aston Martin could be tense.
That’s because Stroll reportedly had a meltdown in the garage after qualifying. Paddock rumours claim he threw objects and swore at team staff.
Lance Stroll damaged a helmet in alleged Aston Martin tantrum
Speaking on the ‘F1 Show’, Sky Sports commentator David Croft offered further insight on the incident. He’s learned that Stroll damaged a helmet by launching it at the garage wall.
According to The New York Times, a Formula 1 helmet costs up to $15k, or £11.1k.
Croft has heard that Stroll sometimes struggles to control his temper. This has seen him punch partition walls in the past.
He’s also suspicious about Aston’s statement. Stroll was seventh-fastest in Q1, so there was no obvious physical impediment over a single lap.
“I understand that a helmet was thrown, to the extent that the helmet might have been damaged, such was the force that it hit the wall,” Croft said. “There was a lot of shouting and swearing going on as well.
“Lance has got form for punching walls before, albeit partition walls that wouldn’t necessarily hurt him. I’ve heard that before in his time at Aston Martin.
“I don’t buy the [claim that] ‘we’ve been monitoring this for six weeks’. If they’ve been monitoring it for six weeks, then surely for the good of the team they wouldn’t have put Lance into the car in qualifying if it’s got to a point whereby he might not be fit enough to do the race. They’d bring Drugovich in.
“Lance puts in a lap that takes him P7 in Q1. He’s obviously fit enough to drive well at some stage during that qualifying session.”
What Lance Stroll’s no. 1 mechanic had to say about reported outburst
One journalist claims that Aston Martin are looking for an ‘excuse’ to drop Stroll at the end of the season. They may argue he’s no longer in peak condition.
Stroll has scored 14 of the team’s 16 points this season, and his father Lawrence owns the team. However, he trails Fernando Alonso 9-0 in qualifying and 5-0 in the races both drivers have finished.
Responding to a post on Instagram, Stroll’s lead mechanic rubbished the rumours that he’d sworn at team personnel. He called them ‘absolutely not true’.
Once the second-youngest driver in F1 history, Stroll has now started 175 races. He previously missed the Singapore GP in 2023 after a heavy qualifying crash.
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