Stroll praised for F1 injury bounce back

Aston Martin Technical Director Dan Fallows has praised Lance Stroll's performances since his pre-season cycling accident.

The Canadian faced a race against time to drive in the opening races of the season after breaking both wrists and his right big toe in the incident just weeks before the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Stroll was forced to sit out pre-season testing but incredibly returned for the season opener - a determined performance securing a sixth-place finish.

But form has been hard to come by since then with Stroll sitting 102 points adrift of teammate Fernando Alonso in the Drivers' standings, yet to finish on the podium in the opening 12 races of the year despite the Spaniard collecting six top-three finishes.

Fallows has pointed to Stroll's recovery as mitigation and instead believes he should be hailed for his impact on the team since returning to action.

Assessing the first half of the season ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, Fallows said: “Our team has executed the season incredibly well so far and both our drivers have driven extremely well.

“In Fernando, Lance has a team-mate who is an exceptional driver and who has shown his ability from the outset of this season.

“Considering the injuries Lance sustained from his cycling accident pre-season and his determined recovery, he’s performed very well alongside a formidable team-mate.

“Both drivers have been absolutely critical in helping us understand where the car needs to be improved.”