Aston Martin reserve gives Lance Stroll injury update amid Canadian GP decision

Daily Mirror

a day ago

Lance Stroll is in a race against time to be fit to race for Aston Martin at the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend after surgery on his hand and wrist which saw him withdraw from the Barcelona F1 race
Lance Stroll "will do everything he can" to race at this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix. That was the update provided by Aston Martin reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne, who is one of those who could replace the Montreal native if he is not fit to take part in his home Formula 1 race.
Stroll withdrew from the Spanish Grand Prix on June 1, the team confirming he had been suffering with pain in his hand and wrist for around six weeks. It was linked to the damage he did in a pre-season cycling accident in pre-season training two years ago, which required surgery.
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It was also announced that he would undergo another procedure to help relieve that pain in the long-term. That operation took place after the Barcelona event that he missed, pitting him in a race against time to be fit for the upcoming Canadian GP.
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Aston Martin have yet to communicate any decision over who will drive alongside Fernando Alonso this weekend. Presumably, they will wait for as long as they can before making a final decision.
Both their reserve drivers, Vandoorne and Felipe Drugovich, are scheduled to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend. But their respective teams each have a reserve standing by and Aston Martin have the power to pull either of them away to compete in Montreal if required.
Drugovich is set to drive for Cadillac at the world-famous endurance event but Earl Bamber is on standby to take over if the Brazilian gets the nod to make his F1 debut. And Peugeot have Theo Pourchaire hanging around in case Vandoorne is told to hop on a flight to Canada.
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The latter, a Formula E champion who made 42 appearances for McLaren in a brief F1 career between 2016 and 2018, incidentally as Alonso's team-mate, suggested Stroll could be on target to make sure Aston Martin don't need a backup plan. He said: "I think Lance is in good shape and has good doctors working with him. He will do everything he can to be at the race in Canada."
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Realistically, Aston Martin have until Friday night at the latest to make a decision. That's because, to be eligible to take part in qualifying for an F1 race, a driver has to have at least taken part in one of the three practice sessions held beforehand.
The Montreal event is not a Sprint race and so FP3 is scheduled for Saturday as usual. A reserve driver would need to jet from France to Canada and be refreshed enough to drive in that practice session if he is to race on Sunday.
The other option available to Aston Martin could be Valtteri Bottas, who will be in Montreal anyway in his role as reserve driver for Mercedes and their engine customer teams. It is understood, though, that the team would prefer to field one of its own reserves if possible.