Aston Martin’s Chief Trackside Officer, Mike Krack, has shared some more insight into Lance Stroll’s withdrawal from last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, as well as when he might be able to return to action.
Aston Martin announced a few hours after Qualifying at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya that Stroll would sit out the race and undergo a medical procedure after experiencing pain in his hand and wrist.
READ MORE: Aston Martin announce Stroll to miss Spanish Grand Prix
This is believed to be linked to the fractures Stroll sustained in a cycling accident during the 2023 pre-season, after which he had surgery and managed to compete at the opening round of the campaign.
Speaking after Sunday’s Grand Prix, Krack said: “As it has been known already, the whole thing started in 2023. If you guys remember, there were injuries, and over the last weeks there was the mention of pain.
Stroll sat out Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix due to pain in his hand and wrist
“You do not ask the driver every five minutes, ‘Do you have pain or not?’ You have a chat here with the physio, or here a chat, and you understand that there are some small issues.
“We have seen it with Lance in 2023, when he fought his way back, they [the drivers] want to drive, they do not want to be out. Very often I think they drive with probably more pain than they would even admit, to be able to drive, because this is what they love to do.
READ MORE: 6 Winners and 5 Losers from Spain – Who bossed it in Barcelona?
“Over the last weeks, there was a mention here and there, but you are never aware how much it is, and over the weekend, I think it was just getting too much.
“I think at the end of the day, on Saturday after Qualifying, Lance and his team decided it was better to go and check, go and check again, and the recommendation was better not to race.”
Krack stated that Aston Martin’s “Plan A” is for Stroll to race in Canada
Asked about Stroll’s planned procedure and the anticipated recovery time, Krack continued: “You are not speaking to a doctor here, that is what makes it a little bit difficult to predict anything, or to say anything. I am not involved in that.
“We will have to see what the next days are bringing. I understand that there will be more tests, more checks going on over the next days, and we will know more in the coming days.
“At the moment, it’s really difficult to tell you how it’s going to go, and what is going to happen in the next days, but we will find out.”
Krack went on to state that Aston Martin’s “Plan A” is for Stroll to be back in the car for his home race in Canada next weekend, but “Plan B” involves having the likes of reserve drivers Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne on standby.
Brazilian Drugovich is on Aston Martin’s books as a reserve driver
This is despite former GP2 and F2 champions Drugovich and Vandoorne planning to take part in the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans, which clashes with the Montreal race weekend.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin Driver Development Programme member Jak Crawford, who currently competes in F2, would not be an option given that he has yet to hit the required number of points for a Super Licence.
“It is quite simple, the ‘Plan A’ is to have Lance in the car – that is the ‘Plan A’, and that is what we are working to,” said Krack. “If the ‘Plan A’ does not work, then we need to pull ‘Plan B’.
“Obviously we always knew that Le Mans was going to happen, so we also had plans in place that if we need a driver that is doing Le Mans, we will bring him, but at the moment this is not the only question.”
He signed off: “We wait what the next days are bringing, and then we take a decision.”
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