Stroll Overcomes Injury Setbacks to Impress in Bahrain GP Qualifying

Despite suffering from multiple injuries, Lance Stroll managed to participate in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Lance Stroll has disclosed that he suffered a broken toe during the incident that endangered his involvement in the Bahrain Grand Prix, leaving him unable to walk.

Following a cycling accident two weeks prior to the start of the 2023 season, Lance Stroll underwent surgery on one of his broken wrists, while the other was described as “banged up” by Aston Martin. This caused him to sit out the entirety of the pre-season test and only be cleared to participate in the Bahrain GP on the eve of the race.

During Friday’s driving, Stroll was hampered by his injuries and visibly uncomfortable after practice, in addition to being underprepared due to the disruption to his final weeks of physical training and lack of time driving the car.

Despite his setbacks, Lance Stroll has performed admirably in Bahrain, managing to secure eighth place in qualifying where Aston Martin’s AMR23 has shown great promise since testing. Stroll has been taking painkillers to manage his discomfort but says he can “bear with the pain” and is incredibly grateful to be participating in the race.

Given his recent surgery and injuries, Stroll feels fortunate to be able to compete, saying that if someone offered him even a 1% chance to participate, he would take it.

He revealed the extent of his injuries, including a broken toe on his right foot, which made the recovery seem like a distant prospect. Nonetheless, he was able to leave the hospital ten days after the surgery, which has made him feel grateful and overjoyed to be racing in Bahrain.

During Friday’s practice, Lance Stroll was observed driving in a slightly awkward manner and adjusting how he turned the steering wheel to “protect” his injured wrists. Footage showed him using his forearms to support his weight as he exited the car, with assistance from his team.

However, having successfully passed the FIA extraction test at the beginning of the race, it is up to Aston Martin and Stroll to determine if he is fit enough to continue competing.

Stroll has stated that he is feeling better every day, and is gradually gaining confidence in his physical abilities. He expressed that he is no longer as worried as he was a week ago and feels that he is making progress, lap by lap.

Lance Stroll also acknowledged that his lack of testing has affected his ability to adjust to the car and fine-tune its setup.

He mentioned that getting into the rhythm and feeling different set-up items requires time in the car, which he missed out on due to his injuries.

However, he felt that he was starting to gain a better rhythm towards the end of the qualifying session, and was happy with his performance.

When asked by F1Lead how far he is from being at 100% due to the missed testing, Stroll found it challenging to give a precise answer.

He noted that sometimes drivers can still have a subpar qualifying session even after three days of testing if the grip is not there or if things don’t work out. Ultimately, Stroll felt that more laps in a Formula 1 car would benefit his performance.

Lance Stroll humorously remarked that driving a more competitive car made the pain more manageable, and praised the impressive work done by the team, which was assembled by his father Lawrence, over the winter.

Last season, Aston Martin finished seventh in the championship, but the new AMR23, overseen from the start by the highly regarded technical director Dan Fallows, is a significant improvement.

Fernando Alonso, who is Stroll’s teammate, is set to contest Ferrari for a podium finish on Sunday after securing fifth place in Bahrain’s qualifying.

Stroll was close behind Alonso, trailing him by only half a second, and is expected to achieve a comfortable points finish as long as he can cope with the physical demands of the race.

Stroll expressed optimism about the team’s performance, stating that they have excellent long-run pace, as evidenced by their testing results.

With the race being a long one, he is eager to see how they perform and is looking forward to the challenge.

Fernando Alonso, who previously stated that he believes Lance Stroll has the potential to be a future Formula 1 champion and wanted to support him in achieving that goal, praised his teammate’s tenacity during the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Alonso argued that critics who attribute Stroll’s presence in F1 solely to his father’s team ownership should take note of his determined efforts.

Alonso revealed that he has been congratulating Stroll after every session, recognizing the difficulty of what he is doing.

He added that Stroll’s passion for the sport is evident through his performance, which is not always recognized due to his father’s ownership of the team. Alonso believed that Stroll’s efforts in Bahrain demonstrate his potential and show that he has a lot to offer in Formula 1.

Stroll Overcomes Injury Setbacks to Impress in Bahrain GP Stroll Overcomes Injury Setbacks to Impress in Bahrain GP Stroll Overcomes Injury Setbacks to Impress in Bahrain GP

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