Lance Stroll’s F1 future with Aston Martin is uncertain after reports of a garage outburst and renewed wrist injury concerns.
Stroll’s sudden withdrawal from the Spanish Grand Prix may be more complicated than it seems.
The Canadian driver, whose billionaire father Lawrence owns the Aston Martin F1 team, participated in Free Practice 1, 2, and 3, qualified in Barcelona, and then withdrew due to an old hand and wrist injury.
Stroll had undergone surgery in 2023 following a cycling accident and, according to the team, a new urgent procedure was required to address lingering issues.
However, immediately after qualifying 14th, Stroll failed to comply with the mandatory post-qualifying weigh-in procedure. He reportedly remained in the garage for five minutes before proceeding.
Reports have since emerged suggesting he lost his temper during that time, allegedly shouting at several team members and breaking objects in the garage.
Aston Martin F1 did not confirm everything initially but acknowledged that Stroll was “angry.” The team, however, denies any connection between his outburst, the act of striking objects, and his wrist injury or subsequent withdrawal. Since Stroll withdrew after qualifying, the team was unable to replace him with a reserve driver.
Team Principal Mike Krack was therefore asked about the incident. He did not deny Stroll’s anger and elaborated further, not refuting that his driver had indeed broken items in the garage.
When asked whether Stroll had “worsened his injury by smashing something,” he responded, “No, no.”
“First of all, I was on the pit wall and didn’t hear anything. So I can’t say more. But I was told it had nothing to do with his injury.”
It now seems likely that Stroll will miss his home race in Montreal in two weeks. Felipe Drugovich is the most probable replacement, although the 25-year-old Brazilian is currently scheduled to race at Le Mans.
Aston Martin’s Trackside Director Mike Krack said, “We have to wait and see what the coming days bring. As far as I know, further tests and examinations are scheduled in the days ahead.”
“For Canada, it’s quite straightforward for us: Plan A is to have Lance in the car. If that doesn’t work, we need a Plan B, but the goal is to make Plan A work first.”
“We’re not yet considering a replacement. We’ll wait to see what the next few days bring and then we’ll make a decision.”
- Discover More>Worst Race Ever? Hamilton’s Barcelona Meltdown Raises Eyebrows
- Following us on>Facebook et Twitter