Aston Martin have been forced down to a single car for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix after confirming late on Saturday that Lance Stroll will not race because of renewed pain in his right hand and wrist—the legacy of the cycling crash that sidelined him at the start of 2023.

No late replacement possible

Although Formula 1 regulations allow a reserve to step in before the race start, Aston Martin said there was insufficient time to prepare either Felipe Drugovich or Stoffel Vandoorne for the cockpit under parc-fermé conditions, meaning Fernando Alonso will be the team’s sole representative. FIA sources confirmed that because the car has already entered parc-fermé, a substitute would have had to start from the pit lane after passing medical and installation checks—a logistical hurdle the team chose not to attempt.

Long-running issue resurfaces

Stroll fractured both wrists, a hand and a big toe in a pre-season training accident two years ago. Titanium plates were inserted and, while he returned by the 2023 Bahrain opener, bouts of swelling have persisted. This new flare-up comes amid a difficult campaign in which the 26-year-old has scored all 14 of Aston Martin’s points; Alonso, struggling with the car’s inconsistent rear grip, is yet to finish higher than ninth. Team boss Mike Krack admitted the loss “hurts massively” but said the priority “has to be Lance’s long-term health.”

Sporting and championship impact

With Stroll sidelined, Aston Martin’s constructors’ hopes take another hit: the Silverstone squad sit eighth, already 37 points adrift of Alpine. More immediately, Stroll’s absence means only 19 starters on Sunday’s grid headed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who secured pole ahead of team-mate Lando Norris.

Stroll faces uncertain timeline

Stroll, currently 11th in the drivers’ standings, faces an uncertain timeline. Surgeons will decide this week whether keyhole work or a full plate removal is required; either could keep him out of next month’s Austrian and British rounds. “I’m gutted,” he posted on X. “But pushing through the pain would risk the rest of my season.”

What’s next

  • Aston Martin expect to update Stroll’s status before the Austrian Grand Prix (13 July).
  • The team will run a reserve driver in the post-race Barcelona tyre test if doctors advise a recovery period longer than two weeks.
  • FIA medical delegate Dr. Ian Roberts will review Stroll’s fitness before any return to competition.

For now, Aston Martin’s weekend rests solely on Alonso’s shoulders, while the paddock waits to see how quickly Stroll—and the team’s already faltering campaign—can rebound from another untimely setback.