Lance Stroll was a shock omission from the Spanish Grand Prix after pulling out of the race due to pain in his wrist.
The Aston Martin driver underwent surgery in a bid to fix what was wrong with his hand and wrist, and has been working hard to recover in time for the next Formula 1 race.
The upcoming Canadian Grand Prix just happens to be Stroll’s home race, so he has an extra incentive to return for it.
Sitting 12th in the drivers’ championship, he has actually been one of the more impressive midfield runners so far this year, too.
Aston Martin have a ‘special’ driver if Stroll can’t race, with Felipe Drugovich ready to drop his 24 Hours of Le Mans commitments at a moment’s notice.
Stroll broke an £11.1k Aston Martin item in Spain before deciding not to race on Saturday night. It was too late to find a replacement, so the team had to run with just one driver.
READ MORE: How Aston Martin rate Lance Stroll’s chances of racing at the Canadian Grand Prix with Felipe Drugovich on standby
Stoffel Vandoorne admits Lance Stroll in ‘good shape’ for Aston Martin ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix
Aston Martin reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne has now offered an update on Stroll and his hopes of competing in Canada.
“I think Lance is in good shape and has good doctors working with him,” he said, according to sport.de. “He will do everything he can to be at the race in Canada.”
Aston Martin could struggle to replace Stroll without having an agreement like McLaren have with Mercedes to have Valtteri Bottas’ services in case they need them.
It turns out that Aston Martin mechanics were surprised by Stroll’s surgery, but it looks as though he may be returning as soon as he could have.
With just two weeks between races in Barcelona and Montreal, it’s a rapid turnaround from the 26-year-old. He’ll need to be wary of doing more damage to himself, though.
READ MORE: David Croft shares what he’s heard about Felipe Drugovich racing for Aston Martin after Lance Stroll’s injury
F1 fans made ‘cynical’ Aston Martin claim about Lance Stroll at the Spanish Grand Prix
What was unusual about Stroll’s appearance at the Spanish Grand Prix is that he could have given his team an opportunity to replace him.
Pulling out before qualifying would have meant that Drugovich could have stepped in, but that didn’t turn out to be the case.
F1 fans made a ‘cynical’ Aston Martin claim and were surprised that Stroll didn’t notify them of his issues earlier on.
After teammate Fernando Alonso managed to score a point, it may have been an opportunity left on the table for the Silverstone-based outfit.
