Stroll cleared to race in Montreal following hand surgery

Lance Stroll will be back behind the wheel for Aston Martin this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix after being declared fit to race, following a recent operation on his right hand.

Stroll was forced to withdraw from the Spanish Grand Prix due to escalating pain, and subsequently underwent a successful medical procedure after the Barcelona race to address lingering issues with the wrist he originally fractured in a cycling crash two years ago.

Stroll had been suffering from recurring pain for over six weeks according to Aston Martin, with the discomfort intensifying during the Barcelona weekend. Following qualifying, the decision was made to pull out of the race, and he was treated the following Monday.

Despite swirling paddock rumours suggesting his withdrawal was linked to frustrations over a poor qualifying session and a flare-up in the team’s garage, Aston Martin’s head of trackside engineering Mike Krack dismissed such claims as nothing more than “paddock gossip.”

Surgery, Testing, and Green Light for Montreal

In preparation for a potential return, Stroll was given the opportunity to test an older-spec Formula 1 car at France’s Paul Ricard circuit earlier this week.

The outing was a key part of the assessment to determine if he was fit enough to drive in Montreal. After successfully completing the test, Aston Martin confirmed on Wednesday that Stroll would rejoin the team for his home race.

“We are pleased to confirm that Lance Stroll will be back with the team competing in Montreal this weekend," the Silverstone-based outfit announced.

"He had a successful medical procedure to resolve the symptoms he has been experiencing and completed some laps in an old F1 car at Paul Ricard earlier this week. Lance is feeling fit and healthy, and is excited to compete in front of his home crowd.”

• Read also: Sky F1’s Croft still ‘not buying’ Stroll injury claim

The Canadian driver, who has often spoken of the emotional significance of racing in Montreal, expressed his determination to recover in time for his home Grand Prix.

“I am excited to get back behind the wheel with the team for my home Grand Prix this weekend,” Stroll said.

“I was always going to fight hard to be ready to race in front of the Montreal crowd. I’m feeling good after my procedure and put some laps in at Paul Ricard this week to prepare.”

Stroll will return to action in front of a passionate home crowd at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, aiming to bounce back from recent challenges and add momentum to Aston Martin’s 2026 campaign.

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