Stroll feeling strong but expecting 'a little bit more discomfort'

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Lance Stroll is feeling strong ahead of his return to the track this weekend in Bahrain, but the Aston Martin charger expects to feel "a little bit more discomfort" due to his injured wrist.

To accelerate his recovery in the wake of the cycling crash that ruled him out of pre-season testing, the Canadian driver underwent surgery last week.

After several days of rest and rehab, he was put to the task this week in Aston's simulator at Silverstone where the strength of his wrist was tested.

"I fell off my bike and broke my wrist," Stroll told the media on Thursday in Bahrain."I had a surgery on my right wrist, it was just a small procedure and it was just physiotherapy and rehab to get me here.

"I was in the sim yesterday, the day before, I'm feeling pretty strong.

"We turned up the steering strength and I felt good winding on the lock and going over bumps and all those things."

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Stroll admits he endured a tough period before he was on the mend and became confident that he would be able to race in this weekend's opening round of the 2023 F1 season at Sakhir.

"With these injuries it's always hard to tell, but the first few days were rough," he explained.

"It looked like it was going to be tough but then the last four or five days, it's really been improving a lot every day.

"I got cleared by the doctors and they're confident I can go racing and that the bones are looking good."

Stroll isn't expecting any last-minute setbacks although he does foresee feeling a bit of discomfort behind the wheel.

"It hurts a bit, but it feels good," he added. "It feels solid and nothing that I haven't had before.

"I really felt like I could drive normally with a little bit more discomfort, but nothing that's stopping me from driving, like any excruciating pain or anything like that."

"If I felt like it was not smart, if I felt like it was a risk of injuring myself more, or if I felt like my bones weren't ready, I wouldn't do it.

"Formula 1 is a long season, there's 23 races. It's not all about being here in Bahrain, but I do feel confident, the doctors feel confident, so here I am."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.