Lance Stroll defied his doctors' prognosis when he reported for duty in Bahrain last week just 12 days after his bike crash, but in the hours that followed the incident the Canadian felt his whole world "crumbling" in front of him.
Stroll tumbled head over heels on February 18 while training in Spain, with Aston Martin revealing two days later that he would not be taking part in pre-season testing while his participation in the opening race of 2023 was uncertain.
The Canadian's injuries included a fracture and displacement in his right wrist, a fracture in his left wrist, a partial fracture in his left hand, along with a fracture in his big toe on his right foot.
From Malaga where he had been training, Stroll immediately flew to Barcelona to seek the help of well-known MotoGP surgeon Xavier Mir, but with little hope that he would be able to recover in time for F1's season opening event.
"I fell off my bike and I went down really hard," he told the F1 Nation podcast. "And I knew right away both wrists were crushed. I only noticed my toe at the end of the day, because I was so focused on my wrists.
"My whole world was just crumbling in front of me, because I was already thinking I'm probably going to miss a few races. All those thoughts are going through your head and like horrible timing, four days before the test."
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Forty-eight hours after Stroll's crash, Mir and his team inserted a plate and screws into Stroll's right wrist to accelerate his recovery.
"He did that surgery on my right wrist and then put me in a cast on the left wrist," Stroll recounted.
"He said: 'We're going to immobilise you for two to four weeks on the left wrist but we don't know how long it's going to take the right wrist... hoping [in] Bahrain you'll start to get some movement. You may be able to drive and then the toe is going to just take time.'"
Chances of joining the grid in Bahrain still appeared remote for Stroll as he began his rehab and recovery process. But the Canadian healed faster than expected, and a green light last week from Dr. Mir and a crucial simulator test at Silverstone cleared the way for his return to the track.
"I didn't think I was going to be able to be in the car anytime soon," he said. "I couldn't move. I was so far from being fit to drive. I was just with my osteopath Henry 10 hours a day, doing rehab.
"Last week, around Monday or Tuesday, I [could] suddenly start to feel a little bit more movement. I was in the sim on Wednesday and it hurt like hell, but I was like, 'Hey, by the time I get there on Friday for FP1, maybe I'll be able to do it.'
"[The doctor said] the wrists are healthy enough to go racing. So, I was like okay, I'm screwed, I'm just gonna go try.
"I managed to get in the car on Friday. Anyway, it was a great life experience, makes for a great dinner story..."
On Tuesday, Stroll took to social media to detail his adventure, but also to express his gratitude towards all those that had helped his comeback.
"Rehab required hard work and persistence," he wrote on Instagram. "But with an incredible medical team and my friends and family supporting me, I was able to push through the pain and get back on track in Bahrain with my team and fellow drivers.
"And we did it!!!
"I am thankful for everyone who supported me, sent kind notes and wishes!"
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