Aston Martin addresses reports of Lance Stroll losing his temper post F1 Spanish GP Qualifying

Aston Martin’s Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack has dismissed reports suggesting Lance Stroll lost his temper following a poor qualifying session at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Canadian driver was withdrawn from the remainder of the race weekend due to pain in his hands, which the team attributed to lingering effects from injuries sustained in a cycling accident ahead of the 2023 season.

Stroll, who suffered multiple fractures to both hands in that incident, underwent surgery and made an impressive return with a sixth-place finish in Bahrain in 2023. According to Aston Martin, the pain from those past injuries had been ongoing for approximately six weeks and worsened significantly over the Spanish GP weekend. By qualifying, the discomfort had escalated to the point that Stroll’s medical team advised against continuing.

A BBC report claimed that Stroll had reacted angrily after qualifying, allegedly damaging equipment and verbally lashing out at team members. While an Aston Martin spokesperson acknowledged that the driver was visibly upset with his performance, they denied any link between his reaction and his injury. Krack categorically rejected suggestions of an outburst or incident in the garage, labelling the claims as paddock speculation.

An ESPN report added to the speculation by suggesting that Stroll may have aggravated his injury during the alleged incident. However, Krack clarified that the team had been monitoring the issue for some time, initially unsure of its severity. The pain reportedly intensified over the course of the weekend, prompting the decision to withdraw Stroll on medical grounds. Aston Martin has confirmed that the 26-year-old may require further treatment or even another procedure before making a return to racing.

Asked by PlanetF1 if Stroll injured his hand in an outrage in the Aston Martin garage after qualifying, Krack said:

“No, no. First of all, I was on the pit wall and I have not heard anything. I think this is typical paddock gossip.”

Asked about the injuries and Stroll’s sudden withdrawal from the race weekend, the Aston Martin trackside chief said:

“It has been known already. The whole thing started in 2023, if you guys remember, there was injuries, and over the last weeks, there was the mention of pain, or reducing time in pain. You do not ask the driver every five minutes: ‘Do you have pain?’ You have a chat here with a physio, or hear a chat, and you understand that there are some small issues and the driver and we have seen it with Lance in 2023 when he fought his way back. They [drivers] want to drive, they don’t want to be out.

“So 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. So over the last weeks, there was a mention here and there, but you’re never aware how much it is. And then the weekend, I think he was just getting too much. I think at the end of the day, Saturday after qualifying, Lance and his team decided it would be better to go and check, go and check again, and then the recommendation was better not to race.”

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Aston Martin gives an update on Lance Stroll's injury and recovery process

Aston Martin’s Chief Trackside Officer, Mike Krack, stated that Lance Stroll will undergo further tests and assessments on his injuries in the coming days. He acknowledged that the situation remains uncertain, and it is too early to confirm whether the Canadian driver will miss any additional races. However, Krack affirmed that the team’s aim is to have Stroll back in the car as soon as possible, ideally in time for his home race at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Addressing how the scenario will unfold in the future with Stroll’s situation, Krack said (via the aforementioned source):

“We will have to see what the next days are bringing. So I understand that there will be more tests, more checks going on over the next days, and we will know more in the next in the coming days. At the moment, it’s really difficult to make to tell you how it’s going to go and what is going to happen in the next days, but we will find out.”

On what the plan is in case Stroll misses the Canadian GP, Krack said:

“Plan A is to have Lance in the car.”

Despite Aston Martin’s claims that Lance Stroll’s withdrawal from the Spanish Grand Prix was due to injury, ESPN reported that members from three rival teams were skeptical of the Silverstone outfit’s official explanation. Stroll had been the team’s sole points scorer prior to the race, with a total of 14 points, while Fernando Alonso only opened his account with a ninth-place finish in Barcelona. Aston Martin currently sit ninth in the Constructors’ championship with 16 points.

Until the team issues a further update, the situation surrounding Stroll’s return remains unclear. In the meantime, Aston Martin have reserve drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Drugovich available as potential stand-ins, and, as a Mercedes customer team, they also have access to Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas.