Stroll returning from injury for Canadian GP

Lance Stroll will return at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix following a procedure on his injured right wrist that forced him to withdraw from the race in Spain.

The Aston Martin driver withdrew from the Barcelona weekend after qualifying, citing pain in his hand and wrist that his medical team believed to be related to operations he underwent in the pre-season of 2023. Following a further successful medical procedure last week, Stroll says he will be back behind the wheel in Montreal.

“I am excited to get back behind the wheel with the team for my home grand prix this weekend,” Stroll said. “I was always going to fight hard to be ready to race in front of the Montreal crowd. I’m feeling good after my procedure and put some laps in at Paul Ricard this week to prepare. Thanks for all the support, see you guys this weekend!”

Aston Martin says the procedure that Stroll underwent was designed to resolve the symptoms he has been experiencing. The team had been waiting to see how he recovered from his run in an older car at Paul Ricard earlier this week before clearing him for Canada. Reserve driver Felipe Drugovich, who is part of Action Express Racing's line-up at Le Mans, is continuing his preparations for the endurance classic as normal.

In Stroll’s absence, Fernando Alonso scored his first two points of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix, although Aston Martin slipped to ninth in the constructors’ championship due to Nico Hulkenberg’s fifth-place finish for Sauber. Stroll had previously scored all of Aston Martin’s points this year, with 14 to his name.

Stroll has only ever failed to score points in his home race on one occasion – retiring from the 2018 event when he was driving for Williams – and secured his best ever result at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve at last year’s Canadian Grand Prix, when he finished seventh – one position behind Alonso – on a strong weekend for the team.