Who could replace Lance Stroll at Aston Martin for the F1 Canadian Grand Prix?

The Canadian driver Lance Stroll was forced to miss the Spanish Grand Prix for medical reasons.

An old wound

Lance Stroll was ruled out due to complications from an injury sustained in a cycling accident in 2023, putting the team in a delicate position ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the driver’s home race.

The Canadian had fractured both wrists and a toe during that accident, shortly before the start of the 2023 season. He had missed the winter tests but returned in time for the first Grand Prix in Bahrain. However, the pain seems to have returned in recent weeks.

Lance Stroll withdrew from the race in Spain just a few hours after securing 14th place in qualifying. For six weeks, Lance has been experiencing hand and wrist pain, which his doctor believes is related to the procedure undergone in 2023, Aston Martin had indicated. He will therefore undergo a new medical procedure to address these issues before focusing on his recovery.

Lance Stroll has indeed undergone a new operation, but the team has given no official update on his condition, stating that it would make no ongoing comments on personal medical matters.

Read also: Aston Martin provides update on Lance Stroll’s injury

A possible replacement?

Just over a week before the Canadian Grand Prix, doubt lingers over Stroll’s ability to start. If not, who could replace him?

Mike Krack, track operations director, stated that plan A is to have Lance in the car, but acknowledged that a plan B was being considered. The team currently has two reserve drivers: Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Drugovich.

However, Stoffel Vandoorne is committed to Peugeot for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which takes place the same weekend as the Canadian GP. The same problem applies to Felipe Drugovich, who is scheduled to start with Cadillac. Nevertheless, the former F2 champion stated: « My priority has always been Formula 1, so it must remain that way. » This suggests a possible availability, if Cadillac allows it.

And the young drivers?

The team also includes junior drivers: Jak Crawford (F2) and Tina Hausmann (F1 Academy), but neither currently has an FIA super license, which is essential to race in F1. This is also the case for Jessica Hawkins, the team’s ambassador.

If Aston cannot field any driver from its own pool, it could call upon the Mercedes reserves, its engine supplier. Neither McLaren nor Williams (other Mercedes customer teams) have a designated replacement driver, which opens the door to two names at Mercedes. Frederik Vesti, who has participated in free practice for Mercedes (Mexico, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain), but he is also registered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Cadillac.

There remains one option: Valtteri Bottas, with 246 F1 starts, 10 wins, and 67 podiums, he would represent a safe and experienced option. Without a seat in 2025 after his departure from Sauber, the Finn recently declared that he wasn’t finished with F1 yet.

We can expect a response from the team in the coming days.