Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll has reportedly broken both his wrists in a freak cycling incident. This injury has naturally meant that he is unable to feature for the team during pre-season testing.
With reports emerging about a surgery that the driver has been forced to undertake on one of his broken wrists, there is an expectation that he could spend a lengthy period on the sidelines.
Lance was cycling as part of his routine to return to peak fitness ahead of the start of the 2023 season, but the injury took place during his training in Malaga.
As a result, he has been forced to sit out of pre-season testing in Bahrain and his recovery is being assessed by the team on a day-to-day basis.
When will Lance be fit to race?
Following Lance’s injury in Malaga, he was sent for treatment to Barcelona, where a surgery was conducted by specialist Dr Xavier Mir, who is a known name in the world of motorsport for having operated on MotoGP star Marc Marquez.
With respect to when Lance will be able to feature for Aston Martin again, there is a lack of clarity over when the exact date of his injury was.
Any recovery time can only be ascertained when the date of injury is confirmed.
Assuming that it happened in the beginning of February, it will certainly mean Lance will not feature for the team during the season opener.
As a result, Aston Martin is preparing itself by including Felipe Drugovich in its plans.
Drugovich, who is the reigning F2 champion, was appointed as Stroll’s substitute for winter testing last week.
He put in a decent shift and ended the first day of testing with the 14th fastest time.
Some believe this might be enough to convince Aston Martin to give him a shot during the season opener and it is a sentiment echoed by Stoffel Vandoorne.
“I’m now in Cape Town [for Formula E] and now Felipe Drugovich is driving the test days in Bahrain. It seems to me also logical that he will do the race, because I can’t be present at the test.”
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