Lance Stroll misses F1 testing following training bicycle accident

Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll has missed all of preseason testing and may miss the season opener in Bahrain following a “minor accident” in training. While little is known of the circumstances surrounding his injury, with Aston Martin declaring that these matters are “private,” it is widely speculated that he won’t be able to compete in the race on March 5. He has already been forced to sit out of the pre-season testing, sparking rumours about the severity of his condition and whether or not he’ll be able to drive in time.  

It is reported that the Canadian-Belgian driver is being routinely monitored for recovery, and that he has visited a number of specialists in the hopes that he may be able to compete. However, there has also been discussion of potential replacements to take his spot in the tournament, such as Felipe Drugovich, who already replaced Stroll during testing, or Sebastian Vettel, who’s rumoured to have been in contact with Aston Martin regarding being Stroll’s substitute. 

No definite decision has been made yet, with Mike Krack of Aston Martin telling the media that Stroll competing is still their ideal scenario, their “Plan A”. There is still lots of uncertainty around the whole situation, with no more details of his injury being revealed as a matter of respect towards Stroll, other than that it is a wrist injury that Stroll obtained while cycling in Spain as part of his training for the GP. 

There is some hope for him being able to still compete, as Krack did describe his pre-season absence as a simply “precautionary” measure. While the extent of his injuries remains undisclosed, it is difficult to come to any further conclusion regarding whether he’ll be competing or not, we can only wait until the 5th and wish him a speedy recovery.