- The Spanish Grand Prix will take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
- One team have been handed a heavy blow with one of their drivers ruled out
- They will now have only one driver on the grid as a result of a qualifying rule
A Formula One star has been ruled out of the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday at the 11th hour, after their team confirmed they would be having surgery on a persistent injury.
The race, in Barcelona, will see Oscar Piastri start on pole, in perfect position to attempt to extend his slender three-point lead at the head of the drivers championship from Lando Norris.
Both McLarens have been the stars of the season, with the British-based outfit clearly the quickest car on the grid, with Max Verstappen third in the standings.
Yet while the McLarens and Red Bulls are competing at the top, Aston Martin have struggled for points this season, and find themselves third-bottom in the constructors’ standings.
With just 14 points, Aston Martin sit in eighth, behind the likes of Haas, RB and Williams – but their quest for points in Barcelona has now been struck by yet another blow.
The team has confirmed that Lance Stroll will no longer be part of the race, and he will undergo surgery in an attempt to correct lingering pain, thought to be a result of a horrific injury he suffered while cycling back in 2023.
Lance Stroll will not race in the Spanish GP after undergoing surgery, Aston Martin confirmed
The Canadian has been experiencing pain in his hand and wrist, thought to be a continued effect from a crash two years ago
Aston Martin driver Stroll revealed he fractured a hand, both wrists and a toe in a crash in 2023
‘Over the course of the past six weeks Lance has been experiencing pain in his hand and wrist, which his medical consultant believes is in relation to the procedure he underwent in 2023,’ Aston Martin confirmed on Saturday night.
‘As a result his medical team have confirmed that he will not race tomorrow and he will undergo a procedure to rectify these issues before focusing on his recovery.’
Two years ago, Stroll revealed that he suffered fractures in both wrists, one of his hands, and in one of his big toes just 12 days before the start of the 2023 Formula One season in Bahrain in a bike crash.
Images after his accident highlighted the extent of the damage – which required screws to be put in his wrist – with both his arms in plaster, though he recovered to finish P6 in the first race of the season.
Now, though, Aston Martin are unable to replace him in Sunday’s race as only drivers who participate in qualifying can take part in the Grand Prix, so it will be just veteran Fernando Alonso on the grid.
The Spanish driver qualified in P10 for his home race, but will face a tall order in helping Aston Martin try to recover their slow start to the 2025 season on his own.
