Lance Stroll withdrew from the Spanish GP after facing a flare up from his wrist injury in 2023, Mike Krack the Chief trackside officer spoke about Stroll’s withdrawal and the plans for the upcoming Canadian GP.
After qualifying for the Spanish GP in Barcelona, news came out that Lance Stroll would not be taking part in the race. This came as a result of issues due to his 2023 wrist injury that he got from cycling during the off season.
During the week off before his home race, Stroll will be undergoing a medical procedure in his hand and wrist to hopefully fix the pain he’s been experiencing. The current plan is for him to be back in the car for his home race.
Mike Krack told F1TV that they were aware of Stroll’s pain. He said, “As it has been known already, the whole thing started in 2023. If you guys remember, there were injuries, and over the last weeks there was the mention of pain.”
However, Krack admitted that it wasn’t something him or the team were overly concerned over.
“You do not ask the driver every five minutes. ‘Do you have pain or not?’ You have a chat here with the physio, or here is a chat, and you understand that there are some small issues.”
“We have seen it with Lance in 2023, when he fought his way back. They [the drivers] want to drive, they do not want to be out. Very often I think they drive with probably more pain than they would even admit, to be able to drive, because this is what they love to do.”
Stroll’s decision to withdraw
Krack opened up about how it wasn’t until after qualifying that Stroll and his team decided to get the pain check out and was then advised not to race.
“I think at the end of the day, on Saturday after qualifying. Lance and his team decided it was better to go and check, go and check again, and the recommendation was better not to race.”
While Krack was asked about Stroll’s recovery. He emphasised he’s not a doctor and therefore cannot give exact knowledge on Lance Stroll’s recovery. But he spoke about the aspects he could comment on.
He said, “We will have to see what the next days are bringing. I understand that there will be more tests, more checks going on over the next days, and we will know more in the coming days.”
“At the moment, it’s really difficult to tell you how it’s going to go, and what is going to happen in the next days. But we will find out.”
Back up plans
Similarly, Krack made it clear that the ‘Plan A’ is still to have Lance Stroll back in the car and ready to race for his home GP. But they will be ready with Felipe Drugovich or Stoffel Vandoorne. If Stroll has not recovered in time.
“It is quite simple, the ‘Plan A’ is to have Lance in the car. That is the ‘Plan A’, and that is what we are working to. If the ‘Plan A’ does not work, then we need to pull ‘Plan B’.”
The only hitch in the plan involving reserve drivers is that Drugovich and Vandoorne are currently set to compete in the 24 hours of Le Mans. Jak Crawford, their test and development driver also isn’t an option. He hasn’t hit the required 40 points to get a Super Licence.
However, Krack made it clear that Aston Martin are prepared for whichever outcome. Saying, “Obviously, we always knew that Le Mans was going to happen. So we also had plans in place that if we need a driver that is doing Le Mans. We will bring him, but at the moment this is not the only question.”
“We wait what the next days are bringing, and then we take a decision.”
