The Spanish Grand Prix will proceed with only 19 drivers on the grid as Lance Stroll has been forced to withdraw due to persistent pain in his hand and wrist. Stroll had participated in the qualifying session on Saturday, securing the 14th position on the starting grid for the race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Following the qualifying session, Aston Martin released a team statement confirming Stroll's inability to compete. The statement elaborated: “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. 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.”

Stroll's current issues are linked to a significant cycling accident in February 2023, during which he fractured both wrists, a knee, and a big toe. This withdrawal means Aston Martin will field only one car, driven by Fernando Alonso, in the Spanish Grand Prix.

The team is unable to substitute Stroll for today's race due to specific Formula 1 regulations. Although Aston Martin has a reserve driver, Felipe Drugovich, on location, F1 rules stipulate that a driver must have competed in at least one prior session (Practice or Qualifying) to be eligible to race. Since Drugovich did not participate in either, he cannot replace Stroll for the Grand Prix.

Should Stroll not recover in time for the Canadian Grand Prix in two weeks, Drugovich, the 2022 Formula 2 champion, would likely be his replacement. Stroll had previously detailed his remarkable recovery from the 2023 injuries. He recalled: “On Saturday, February 18th I crashed on my bike while training in Spain. The scans showed I had a fracture and displacement in my right wrist, a fracture in my left wrist, a partial fracture in my left hand and finally another fracture in the big toe on my right foot.”

He further explained the initial prognosis: “With the beginning of the season right around the corner the timing could not have been worse. My medical team, at first, believed I was not only going to miss testing, but realistically the first few races.” Stroll underwent surgery on his right wrist performed by Dr. Javier Mir. “48 hours after my accident/12 days before the first race Dr. Javier Mir successfully operated on my right wrist. Following surgery, Dr. Mir told me I’d be back for Jeddah if I worked hard and with a bit of luck he was optimistic I could race in Bahrain - but that was a faint possibility. To this day I am convinced the urgency Dr. Mir showed to me helped get me to Bahrain.”

Regarding his other injuries, Stroll added: “Unfortunately, Dr. Mir explained that the fractures in my left hand/wrist and toe weren’t suitable for fixation, and that I’d need to rely on a more conservative approach to heal my other injuries. My medical team ensured we were doing anything and everything that showed some evidence for bone healing. It became my full-time job, trying to combine everything that could help, even if it was by 0.5 per cent.” Describing his rehabilitation, he said, “Initially progress was slow - I needed a lot of help even with daily tasks at home. But each day got better and once the cast came off on day 4 it became possible we had a chance of racing in Bahrain. My medical team devised a programme that would help me restore mobility and strength in my wrists. Rehab required hard work and persistence - but with an incredible medical team and my friends and family supporting me - I was able to push through the pain and get back on track in Bahrain with my team and fellow drivers.”