The Aston Martin team is reported to be considering multiple options about who could replace Lance Stroll, if it turns out that the Canadian driver is ruled out of next weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix due to injury.
Stroll suffered a cycling accident during his physical fitness programme in preparation for the new season and is believed to have sustained hand and wrist injuries.
They were serious enough to rule him out of last week's three-day pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit, with reserve driver Felipe Drugovich stepping up alongside Fernando Alonso.
But the signs are increasingly pointing to Stroll also likely to be forced to miss the season opener next weekend, and the squad is having to hold crisis talks about who will be in the car for the Bahrain GP.
Drugovich is clearly one option, and many analysts felt that his return to the cockpit on Saturday indicated that he was now in pole position to make his F1 debut. But team principal Mike Krack insisted no decision has yet been made.
He said that the decision about the team's second driver next week was “something that we will have to discuss in the next days”.
“We have a situation that isn’t 100 per cent clear," acknowledged Krack on Saturday evening after the end of testing. “The team has to do its homework.
"You do your homework and you also have one of your reserve drivers that is available, that is here, to prepare him for the case that it is necessary," he explained, dubbing Stroll's return as 'Plan A'.
“We want to have Lance back in the car but we have to wait [to see] what he says and what the doctors are saying," he continued. “The Plan B we have to decide. We have some Plan Bs, we have to decide the Plan B when the Plan A is done.”
Previously Stroll has missed just one race since making his F1 debut with Williams in 2017. He was absent from the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix after receiving a positive COVID test.
On that occasion Stroll was substituted by Nico Hulkenberg, who has now returned to a full time role in F1 with the Haas team.
There have been rumours that Aston Martin might reach out to last year's driver Sebastian Vettel, who retired from the sport at the end of 2022. He's believed to be on a family camping trip at present.
“He had a very, very thorough plan in mind for his retirement,” Krack said, playing down the gossip. "I think this is also something that you have to respect. Let’s see what’s happening.”
However when asked whether Vettel had shown any interest in returning for one-off encore - which would be his 300th Grand prix start if it were to happen - Krack failed to quell the buzz with his enigmatic response.
“I will not tell you," he replied.
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