Lance Stroll Will Miss F1 Testing With Cycling-Related Injury

Aston Martin F1 has announced that driver Lance Stroll will miss this weekend's pre-season test at Bahrain after suffering undisclosed injuries in a "minor training accident." Stroll was riding a bicycle in Spain when the apparent crash occurred and will need to be cleared before returning to the car. That means his season debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix a week later is also in doubt.

Aston Martin has not announced contingency plans for either the testing weekend or the upcoming season. Last year, the team replaced Sebastian Vettel with then-reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg; as Hulkenberg is now a full-time competitor at Red Bull Racing, the team would instead be likely to choose between reserve drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Drugovich. The team can use this weekend's upcoming pre-season test to aid in their decision, although a speedy recovery from Stroll would render any choice moot.

Vandoorne is a veteran of two seasons in Formula 1, both with McLaren in the late 2010s. In the years since, he has won races and championships in Formula E while serving as a reserve driver for McLaren and other teams. This year, he is running full-time with DS Penske in Formula E while serving as a reserve driver for all of McLaren, Aston Martin, and Peugeot's Le Mans Hypercar program.

Drugovich is the reigning Formula 2 champion, but saw no interest from Formula 1 teams last offseason. He elected to sign as a reserve driver for Aston Martin, although his role with the team is unclear as he is not the clear choice to replace an injured driver in a pre-season test.

You Might Also Like

• You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox

• Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners

• The Man Who Signs Every Car