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Aston Martin have confirmed that Lance Stroll will participate in the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix. Just before pre-season testing, the Canadian had a bike accident, where he injured his right wrist. That rendered him unavailable to drive in testing, and he was replaced by the team's reserve driver Felipe Drugovich.
However, Stroll quickly recovered and was discharged from hospital a few days ago. On Wednesday (March 1) evening, it was reported that Stroll will fly to Bahrain to go through the FIA's medical check to confirm whether he's fit for the first race of the season.
After the FIA gave him the green light, Aston Martin confirmed the driver's return to the grid.
Lance Stroll explained how it was frustrating for him to miss pre-season testing but that he's glad to have recovered quickly to make a return. He shared how he fell from his bike, injuring his right wrist, and how doctors performed a quick surgery to fix it. The Canadian said:
"It was frustrating not to be out in Bahrain for the pre-season test, and I was disappointed to miss the three days of running. However, given the injury to my wrist, the team and I felt it was best to focus on recovery so that I would be ready for this weekend and the long season ahead."
He added:
"It was an unfortunate accident – I fell from my bike when my tyre caught a hole in the ground - but thankfully the damage was not significant, and a successful minor surgery on my right wrist fixed the problem very quickly. Since then, I've been working hard with my team to ensure that I am fully fit to compete this weekend."
Stroll thanked the F1 community for the good wishes and support he received. He's now ready to concentrate on the upcoming race weekend.
"I would like to thank the F1 community for their support and privacy, as well as the team who have helped my recovery. Now I'm ready to get my head down and concentrate on racing this weekend – something I'm really looking forward to."
Fernando Alonso felt Lance Stroll's absence in pre-season testing
During the 2023 pre-season testing, Fernando Alonso expressed how Lance Stroll's absence affected him and Aston Martin. As the Canadian met with a bike accident right before testing, he was replaced by Felipe Drugovich.
Speaking to F1 TV, the two-time world champion explained how Lance Stroll knows the team and car much better than him and that Aston Martin could have used his insight during testing. Alonso said:
"It hurt a lot. I think we miss him because some of my comments, my feelings with the car, we never know if it’s just me in a new team and a new car. It's just maybe an Aston Martin thing (that I am not used to) and Lance could spot it, brake pedal feeling, power steering, all these things. I don't know if this is a legacy from the team or if it is just new (for) this car. We cannot do it without him, (so) I hope he can come (back) very soon."
Despite Lance Stroll's absence, Alonso clocked in brilliant lap times in testing and was easily among the drivers of top teams like Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.
