Aston Martin closing in on Lance Stroll decision for Canadian GP

Lance Stroll is set to be fit to race in the Canadian Grand Prix following wrist surgery, RacingNews365 understands. 

Citing growing pain in his right wrist on Saturday in Barcelona after being eliminated in Q2, Stroll withdrew from the race on medical grounds after seeking immediate treatment when he returned to the garage.

He was investigated by the FIA for not following the correct weighing procedure, but was handed a warning after it became clear he had not done so as a result of needing the treatment. 

Aston Martin explained that over the past six weeks, the Canadian had experienced growing wrist pains as legacy of the 2023 cycling accident which forced him to miss pre-season testing. 

He returned for the season-opener in Bahrain, finishing sixth, but admitted his "wrists were on fire" during the race.

A procedure on the Canadian has been carried out, the details of which have not been released, but it is understood that Dr Xavier Mir treated Stroll, Mir also being the surgeon who operated on him back in 2023.

Mir has decades of experience dealing with hand and wrist injuries within motorsport, especially in MotoGP. 

With the expectation of Stroll being back for his home race in Montreal, it means Felipe Drugovich is likely to be stood down and can fully focus on his Le Mans programme, the twice-around-the-clock event taking place on the same weekend as the Canadian GP. 

Reserve driver Drugovich would have been Stroll's most likely replacement, with fellow reserve Stoffel Vandoorne also taking part at Le Mans. 

Should Stroll feel unfit to race during the Montreal weekend, it is likely Aston Martin would call upon Mercedes reserve Valtteri Bottas, although the Finn does carry a five-place grid drop for an incident in the 2024 season finale.