Having missed pre-season testing last week, Lance Stroll has declared himself fit to compete in this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, although the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team will have both Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne on standby.
Drugovich, the 2022 FIA Formula 2 champion, took part in testing at the Bahrain International Circuit alongside Fernando Alonso last week, and the Brazilian was in line to replace Stroll had he not recovered from wrist injuries from a cycling accident.
However, Stroll will participate in Bahrain and said he was ready to race amid frustration that he was forced to miss pre-season testing due to his crash. He had minor surgery on his right wrist last week and opted to miss the test in order to be fit and prepare for the opening race of the season.
“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,” Stroll said. “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.
“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.
“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.”