LONDON (Reuters) – Canadian Lance Stroll will miss Formula One’s three-day pre-season test in Bahrain this week after sustaining injuries in a bicycle accident in Spain, his Aston Martin team said on Monday.
The 24-year-old’s absence means that, if passed fit, he will start practice on March 2 for the opening grand prix at Sakhir having done just 17 shakedown laps at Silverstone in cold and damp conditions in the new AMR23 car.
Aston Martin did not give details about what it called a minor accident but said Stroll, son of team owner Lawrence, was expecting to make a quick recovery.
“His fitness to return to the cockpit will be assessed daily and the team will issue an update ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix,” they said.
Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, the Formula E champion, and Brazilian Felipe Drugovich, the Formula Two champion, are the team’s reserve drivers.
Aston Martin’s other race driver is Spain’s 41-year-old double world champion Fernando Alonso, who has joined from Renault-owned Alpine.
“I’ve had an unfortunate accident whilst training on my bike in preparation for the season,” the team quoted Stroll as saying.
“I am determined to get back in the car and I am excited about the season ahead with the team. I am motivated to bounce back from this setback as quickly as possible.”
Testing in Bahrain is on Feb 23-25 with the opening race on March 5.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
