Lance Stroll will be back in the driver's seat this Sunday, with Racer reporting that the Aston Martin driver will participate in the Bahrain Grand Prix despite his recent wrist surgery.

Stroll's wrist injury and subsequent surgery caused him to miss the three-day pre-season test in Bahrain. Concerns lingered that he wouldn't be ready to drive for the season opener this Sunday. But after some testing in the simulator, Stroll believes he's ready to race.

“It was an unfortunate accident—I fell from my bike when my tire caught a hole in the ground—but thankfully the damage was not significant and a successful minor surgery on my right wrist fixed the problem very quickly," he said, according to Racer. "Since then, I’ve been working hard with my team to ensure that I am fully fit to compete this weekend."

He'll start on the back foot. Current F1 regulations seriously limit testing, so missing the three-day test means he'll come in with significantly less experience in his current Aston Martin than other drivers have in their 2023 cars. It's also possible that he won't be able to handle the intensity of a proper GP, which is bound to be more strenuous than any simulator test. Aston Martin confirmed to Racer that reserve drivers Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne will be on-site, with Drugovich serving as the named replacement if Stroll is unable to race.

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