Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll, who is dubiously set to forsake his F1 career in order to pursue his dream of becoming a tennis star, will not be in attendance to face the media ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.
The official reason for his absence has been noted to be an illness, but one may choose to read between the lines.
Lance has fallen woefully short of the mark this term compared to his teammate Fernando Alonso.
While Alonso has bagged six podiums in the first 12 races, Stroll’s best performance has been a P4 finish.
With speculation surrounding his career rife, it is perhaps likely that Lance wants to join the team a day later to avoid any direct questions from the media.
Thursday is usually seen in F1 as a day when drivers have to fulfil media obligations as well as track walks. It also paves the way for initial conversations with engineers and is usually seen as a pretty important day as far as preparations for the race weekend are concerned.
Aston Martin confirmed Lance’s absence from Thursday’s proceedings through a statement.
“Lance is recovering from an infection and will therefore miss media duties today,” read the statement.
However, the team was quick to confirm that Lance would be competing in racing duties that will begin on Friday.
“He is fit and well and will compete at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix,” an Aston Martin spokesperson confirmed.
This weekend is particularly important for drivers, who have spent four weeks away from action due to the mid-season break.
Given how he has been hampered by other events as well this season, Lance has generally shown that he is capable of putting in a decent shift even if his preparation is not up to scratch.
Following a cycling accident in pre-season that resulted in a fractured wrist and even required surgery, Lance made it to P6 in the opening race despite lesser preparation.