Lance Stroll to miss Spanish GP due to wrist injury

Lance Stroll, a Canadian Formula One driver for Aston Martin, will miss the Spanish Grand Prix due to wrist and hand pain stemming from a 2023 cycling accident. His medical team has confirmed that he will not race on Sunday and will undergo a procedure to rectify the issue before focusing on recovery. Aston Martin will not be able to replace him for the race.

Lance Stroll, a Canadian Formula One driver for Aston Martin, will miss the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix due to persistent pain in his hand and wrist. The discomfort, believed to be related to a cycling accident he suffered during the 2023 preseason, has been ongoing for the past six weeks [2]. Stroll's medical team has confirmed that he will not be able to race on Sunday and will undergo a procedure to address the issue before focusing on his recovery [2, 3].

The injury dates back to a cycling accident that required surgery and initially put Stroll's participation in the opening races of the 2023 season in doubt [3]. Despite racing through the pain in the early part of the season, the issues have now reached a point where further action is necessary. Stroll's next steps and recovery will be crucial for ensuring he can race pain-free in the future [3].

Aston Martin will not be able to replace Stroll for the race, as the driver qualified the car and no reserve driver was available [3]. This means the Spanish Grand Prix will take place with a 19-car field instead of the usual 20-car grid. If Stroll is unable to race in the next event in Canada, Aston Martin could call on Felipe Drugovich, the Formula Two champion from 2022, as a replacement [3].

The Spanish Grand Prix weekend also sees the introduction of tougher load tests on front wings by the FIA, aiming to address concerns around flexibility and performance [4]. These changes come after concerns were raised about teams potentially gaining an aerodynamic advantage through flexible wings. The tests will be conducted to ensure that wings do not flex under load, potentially reducing drag or changing aerodynamic balance at high speeds [4].

References:
[1] https://www.crash.net/f1/results/1071994/1/2025-f1-spanish-grand-prix-qualifying-results
[2] https://sports.yahoo.com/article/lance-stroll-pulls-spanish-gp-202215037.html
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6394804/2025/05/31/f1-spanish-grand-prix-lance-stroll-out/
[4] https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/explained-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-spanish-grand-prix-front.60dW3xB6esCkvCXbihD9FH