Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll will not participate in Sunday`s Spanish Grand Prix because of ongoing wrist and hand pain that necessitates surgery.
Stroll, who qualified 14th for the race, previously had a procedure on his wrist in 2023 following a cycling crash. Aston Martin confirmed that his current discomfort is linked to this past issue.
The Canadian driver suffered the bike accident before the start of the 2023 season, which caused him to miss pre-season testing, although he recovered in time for the first race that year.
Aston Martin will not field a replacement driver. Consequently, only 19 cars are expected to start the Spanish Grand Prix.
The team stated: “Over the course of the past six weeks Lance has been experiencing pain in his hand and wrist, which his medical consultant believes is in relation to the procedure he underwent in 2023. As a result his medical team have confirmed that he will not race tomorrow and he will undergo a procedure to rectify these issues before focusing on his recovery.”
In an unrelated matter, Stroll had been under investigation in Spain for failing to follow post-qualifying procedures, specifically for delaying his visit to the weighbridge for five minutes after qualifying ended and not using the designated pit lane route. The FIA`s decision on this incident has not been announced.
