The FIA could ask Lance Stroll, who is struggling, not to race this Sunday in Bahrain
During the testing for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Lance Stroll showed several signs of difficulty following his wrist injury, prior to the start of the season.
He may have returned too early. Despite being unable to participate in the winter tests due to a two-wheeler accident and wrist surgery, Lance Stroll made his comeback in the paddock. Present for the first Grand Prix of the year, the Canadian got back in his Aston Martin.
But not without difficulty. Although he achieved interesting lap times with a sixth place, notably in the second free practice session, Fernando Alonso’s teammate had a hard time hiding his pain. When braking at turn 1, he used a specific technique to navigate the hairpin. He would shift his left hand under the steering wheel and push it with the top of his hand instead of turning it.
This maneuver has apparently cost time to driver number 18, who received a radio message from his engineer in order to save time on this part of the track.
Will the FIA prevent him from driving?
Another video proving the difficulties of the Canadian. This time in the stands. The cameras of Canal+ went live during Lance Stroll’s cockpit exit, showing him asking for help to detach himself and get out of the seat.
As a reminder, the regulations state that a driver must extricate themselves from their car and put the steering wheel back in place within 12 seconds in case of issues such as a fire. Despite these apparent problems, Lance Stroll reportedly managed to pass the test imposed by the FIA, as the tests are conducted on a normal weekday, without driving.
After an hour of cycling on Sunday, however, the situation would be quite different. Lance Stroll, after his fall, underwent surgery on both wrists. The operation, although minor, still has an impact on his career as a Formula 1 driver.
If the FIA prevents him from driving or if the team asks him to, he could be replaced by Felipe Drugovich, who took part in the winter tests in his place last week.
Important point to note, if Stroll takes part in the qualifying session, he will no longer be able to be replaced, even if the FIA prevents him from racing on Sunday. The decision will therefore have to be made before the qualifying session.
Lance Stroll en difficulté pour sortir de sa monoplace après la 2ème séance d'essais 😶
Pensez-vous qu'il sera présent pour la suite du week-end ? 🤔#BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/HLJNSQneWl
— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) March 3, 2023
