After missing the 2025 F1 Spanish GP due to a flare-up on a previous wrist injury, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll will make his return to F1 this weekend at his home race in Montreal. Less than two weeks after pain from a 2023 cycling accident sidelined him, Aston Martin confirmed Stroll will drive the AMR25 at the 2025 Canadian GP.
Injury forces withdrawal in Spain
Stroll sat out the Spanish GP after qualifying 14th on Saturday, following medical advice. Aston Martin later revealed that the 26-year-old had been suffering increasing discomfort in his hand and wrist, which they attributed to complications stemming from the surgery he underwent in early 2023.
The team’s medical consultant attributes the pain to complications from the original procedure. Stroll had fractured his wrists and sustained a broken toe in a cycling crash before the 2023 season, which had already required surgery and significant rehabilitation.
Stroll undergoes procedure to address ongoing pain
After pushing through the pain for several race weekends, Stroll ultimately decided a medical intervention was necessary.
“I started to feel some pain in my wrist and hand a couple of months ago, but I wanted to keep racing,” he explained. “However, the discomfort just became too much, and we made the decision to have medical intervention. Naturally, I was disappointed to miss the race in Barcelona but it was the right call at the time, and I’m looking forward to getting back to racing this weekend… [The wrist’s] feeling good.”
Private Test at Paul Ricard to assess fitness
In preparation for his return to racing, Stroll completed a private test session at the Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France. The objective was to ensure he was physically capable of handling the car at full race pace ahead of the Montreal event.
“I got some laps in at Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France before heading to Canada, so I’ve been back behind the wheel before the race weekend begins, which is really beneficial,” he said. “I felt good in the cockpit so now my full focus is on this weekend.”
Focus turns to home GP in Montreal
Stroll now heads to Montreal in good form and with the backing of a passionate home crowd. The Canadian remains the main point-scorer for Aston Martin so far this season, contributing 14 of the team’s 16 total points. His season-best result came in Australia, where he finished sixth.
“I’m really looking forward to racing in front of my home crowd in Montreal,” he added. “Come rain or shine, the fans are loud and passionate for our sport in Canada and the support they give me as a local driver really does mean a lot. Hopefully we can fight for some more points this weekend.”
Stroll “pretty confident” ahead of 2025 F1 Canadian GP
During Thursday’s media day, Stroll expressed confidence heading into the 2025 Canadian GP, stating he was “pretty confident” and that the race “should be good”. He credited this belief to the improvements he felt after undergoing a recent procedure and completing a test session earlier in the week.
“Yeah. Just because it was bothering me for a few weeks, over in Imola, Monaco. And then Barcelona was just really brutal throughout the weekend. I got a procedure done and drove this week, and I was feeling pretty good, so I’m confident.”
Stroll confirmed that the issue stemmed from an earlier injury. He said, “Yeah. It’s just the old injury that I had a couple years ago. Just started to bug me again and, you know, so just got it sorted.”
Stroll feeling “a lot better” but keeps injury details confidential
When asked whether he had kept the full extent of his pain from the team, Stroll admitted he had tried to persevere but ultimately recognised that continuing was not feasible. He maintained his preference to keep medical specifics private.
“Yeah. I mean, as an athlete in any sport, you’re always trying to push through pain, discomfort, as much as you can to try and get a good result at the end of the weekend. In that situation, I was struggling and I was trying to push through it, but I just didn’t feel it was sensible to push anymore. I felt like the damage was getting worse, and I needed to do something more serious about it. I don’t really want to get into detail about what I had to do and how I had to do it because it’s just my medical privacy, and I like to keep that confidential.”
Nevertheless, Stroll assured that he feels significantly better and is fully focused on delivering in Montreal.
“But all I can say for sure is I’m feeling a lot better. I’m looking forward to the race weekend. Being here in Montreal is always special. Good memories racing here every year. Good results over the years – point-scoring results. I just love coming back here, racing in front of the home crowd, and I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
Aston Martin looking to build momentum
Aston Martin currently sit ninth in the Constructors’ Championship, tied with Kick Sauber on 16 points. Fernando Alonso has scored just two of those points so far this season. Stroll’s return is therefore vital for the team’s hopes of gaining ground at a circuit where they have previously enjoyed success.
Speaking on his team’s prospects for the weekend, Stroll said: “I’m feeling good about the weekend for sure. I think historically we’ve been good here as a team. We scored points here the last few times we came, and it’s a track I always enjoy coming back to. So yeah, just looking forward to it.”
Now, with Stroll medically cleared and race-tested, Aston Martin will aim to capitalise on the Canadian’s motivation and home support to secure valuable championship points.
