Aston Martin have confirmed that Lance Stroll will be fit for the Canadian Grand Prix, having recovered from a wrist injury.
The 26-year-old pulled out from the Spanish GP due to complications with the wrist injury he sustained in 2023. But the exact cause of his withdrawal from Barcelona was immediately brought into question in the paddock.
Stroll reportedly had a meltdown after he was eliminated in Q2, while Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso made it into the top 10. Stroll allegedly damaged a helmet by launching it at the garage wall.
There was doubt as to whether the Canadian would be fit enough to return for his home race. Reserve driver Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne were said to be in line to replace him, but the Canadian Grand Prix clashed with their commitments in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Drugovich refused to be ‘on call’ for Aston Martin as he and Vandoorne prioritised Le Mans. Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas was also touted as an option, but Aston Martin do not have an agreement in place to use him in races.
On Wednesday, the Silverstone squad confirmed that Stroll would be fit for the Canadian GP, with him being subject to another check-up from doctors to make absolutely sure. His work behind the scenes has silenced his critics.
Lance Stroll has silenced one of his critics’ biggest accusations as he ‘worked extremely hard’ to return in Canada
Stroll ran a TPC test in the AMR23 at Paul Ricard this week as part of his preparations for this weekend. The 26-year-old has been working ‘extremely hard’ to ensure that he is fit for his home race, as journalist Tim Hauraney pointed out.
Speaking via TSN, he says that Stroll’s efforts go unnoticed by fans and pundits alike. Many have questioned the Canadian’s work ethic and motivation in the sport in recent years; he has shut down that accusation this week.
“This is a track that he’s always gone really well at, scored his first points in Formula 1 right here at this track in 2017,” said Hauraney.
“But yes, this is something that he has been working extremely hard to get back to make sure he’s back in the race car.
“I mean, some folks may not think that Lance works hard at this, but this is it for him.
“Like, he works extremely hard to be a Formula 1 driver, to race in this series. I mean, at the end of the day, technically he doesn’t even need to be in Formula 1 if he didn’t want to be, right?
“So yes, he has worked extremely hard to get back, especially for this weekend.”
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Lance Stroll’s motivation in F1 has been called into question several times in the past
Stroll has proven a lot of his doubters wrong with his efforts to get back into his AMR25 for his home race. But the problem is that there is a reason for his critics, as there have been several examples of where the 26-year-old appears to lack motivation.
Stroll has been disinterested at times, as evidenced by his demeanour at the F175 launch event, and quite often looking despondent in media debriefs. Stroll ‘hates’ being interviewed more than any other driver, according to Will Buxton.
Guenther Steiner reckons Stroll does not want to be in F1 anymore. The Canadian has been linked with a move away in recent years, including to Aston Martin’s WEC programme.
Reportedly, Aston Martin are looking for an ‘excuse’ to drop Stroll as they try to attract Max Verstappen to their project. With Adrian Newey and Honda on board for 2026, the Silverstone outfit are an attractive option for the four-time champion.
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