ASTON MARTIN driver Lance Stroll will be forced to miss this week’s pre-season testing after having an accident while riding his bicycle.
The Silverstone-based team say the Canadian suffered a “minor accident and sustained injuries which will result in him sitting out the pre-season test in Bahrain”.
The 24-year-old, the son of the team’s owner Lawrence Stroll, is expected to be fit for the season-opener in Bahrain on March 5.
Stroll said: “I’ve had an unfortunate accident whilst training on my bike in preparation for the season.
“I am determined to get back in the car and I am excited about the season ahead with the team. I am motivated to bounce back from this setback as quickly as possible.”
Aston Martin confirmed the news on their Twitter page this afternoon.
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They said expect Stroll to make a quick recovery and said they will issue an update ahead of the opening race of the season.
The news means new driver Fernando Alonso, who made a dramatic switch from Alpine last year, is now set to have all three days to himself to become acquainted with the new machinery.
While this season won’t see the sweeping rule changes of last year, each team will still be looking to make tweaks to their car to find lap time.
Pre-season testing gives fans the first chance to see who has gained some pace relative to their rivals and who needs to go back to the drawing board.
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While Alonso is new to the team, Stroll is now into his fifth season with Aston Martin, who were called Racing Point until 2021.
Along with his initial years at Williams in 2017 and 2018, this is now the Canadian’s seventh consecutive season in F1.
While he has developed a reputation for crashing, the star has also demonstrated genuine skill and pace and picked up some surprise podiums along the way.
He is also known for his wet weather driving skills and grabbed his sole pole position in wet and slippery conditions during 2020 Turkish Grand Prix qualifying.
After having to pit his wits against four-times World Champion Sebastian Vettel last season, Stroll will now need to show the same resolve against two-times F1 winner Alonso when the season kicks off next month.
Max Verstappen is widely deemed to be the favourite heading into the season.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
