With Lance Stroll in a race against time to be fit for the Canadian Grand Prix after surgery, Aston Martin need a backup plan – made more difficult by both its reserve drivers planning to race at Le Mans that same weekend

It remains to be seen whether Lance Stroll will be fit for the Canadian Grand Prix(Image: Getty Images)

Aston Martin could turn to a veteran Formula 1 star to partner Fernando Alonso at the Canadian Grand Prix. That’s one of the options available to the team with Montreal native Lance Stroll in a race against time to be fit for his home race.

Stroll withdrew from Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix the night before the race, citing pain in his hand and wrist that he had been suffering for some time. Aston Martin said he had experienced discomfort for around six weeks, suggesting he had driven the Saudi Arabian, Miami, Emilia Romagna and Monaco Grands Prix with the issue.

He is no stranger to pain in that area – he missed pre-season in 2023 after undergoing surgery following a cycling accident while training in Spain. He broke his wrist and a toe but, just over two weeks later, raced at the Bahrain Grand Prix and, incredibly, finished sixth.

But it’s possible that the accelerated recovery period he went through then, in order to not miss the start of that season, may have led to this recurrence of pain. The team said his issue was “related to the procedure he underwent in 2023”, but was no more specific.

An Aston Martin spokesperson did not wish to comment on Stroll’s personal medical situation. But it is understood that the surgery he skipped the Barcelona race for was carried out on Monday, by Dr Xavier Mir and his team – the same expert who treated him two years ago.

Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack has said that their ‘Plan A’ is for Stroll to race at the Canadian Grand Prix, a week on Sunday. If he cannot, then they will need an alternative plan – though the timing makes that process a little trickier than it might have been.

The Montreal F1 race clashes with another major motorsport event, the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. And both Aston Martin reserve drivers – Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne – are currently set to take part in the latter, representing Peugeot and Cadillac respectively.

If they need to, Aston Martin have the power to pull either of them away from Le Mans to race in Canada. Drugovich in particular likely won’t need much convincing, given he has waited patiently for his first chance to race an F1 car, having been stuck on the sidelines since winning the 2022 Formula 2 title.

But they are also not Aston Martin’s only options. As a current Mercedes engine customer, they also have access to their pool of reserve drivers including Valtteri Bottas, who has made himself available for all 24 F1 races this year in the hope that it might give him the chance to race and audition for a permanent 2026 seat elsewhere.

Aston Martin won’t want to rush Stroll and risk another recurrence down the line, nor do they want to rush into a decision over their Montreal driver line-up. “We wait to see what the next days are bringing and then we take a decision,” said Krack.