Earlier this week the news broke that Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll has sustained moderately severe injuries in a cycling accident.
The Canadian announced on his social media that he had been in an accident and would certainly miss Aston Martin’s pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Aston Martin’s reserve and test driver Felipe Drugovich has now been confirmed as the Canadian’s replacement, with the Brazilian set to share the three days of testing with Fernando Alonso.
No details of exactly what injury Stroll has sustained have been released by the driver or the team, leaving fans in the dark as to exactly what is wrong with the 24-year-old.
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Unconfirmed reports from Spain have said that Stroll was seen exiting a hospital with a cast on his right arm, but these claims are yet to be verified.
Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Andreas Haupt has now delivered bad news for Aston Martin fans, suggesting the Drugovich’s presence in pre-season testing may indicate that Stoll will not recover in time for the season opener.
Haupt reported that Aston Martin “did not want to give any further details” on Stroll’s injury after the initial statement ruled him out of pre-season testing.
“But if Alonso shares the testing, it would be a strong indication that Stroll is not recovering anytime soon.”
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Former F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne would have been Aston Martin’s first choice to step into the AMR23 in the absence of Stroll, but the Belgian is currently in Cape Town in preparation for the upcoming Formula E race.
As the reigning Formula 2 champion, Drugovich is more than capable of stepping up and replacing Stroll in Bahrain but with an entirely new car to get used to, Stroll’s absence from pre-season testing could set the Canadian back significantly.
With the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend beginning on Friday the 3rd of March, Aston Martin will be hoping that their driver can make a quick recovery from his cycling accident to take part in the opening race of what promises to be a successful season for Aston Martin.