Lance Stroll says that he can “definitely drive” the remainder of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend despite experiencing wrist discomfort during free practice.
Stroll fractured his wrist on the build-up to the 2023 Formula 1 season and was forced to skip pre-season testing as a result.
He was declared fit by Aston Martin for the first race weekend of the year, but appeared to be in discomfort during the opening day of running in Bahrain.
During FP2, onboard shots of Stroll showed him flexing his hands down the straights, while he used his un-injured left hand to push the steering wheel through the opening corner.
He was asked by the team to adjust his line through the turn, but he declared that he couldn’t “because of the hands”.
Question marks were then raised over his ability to remain in the car for the rest of the weekend, with reserve driver Felipe Drugovich on standby.
However, the Canadian insists that he will be able to partake in the remaining sessions.
“I’m feeling alright,” he said. “A little stiff, but it was overall OK in the car today.
“I was just protecting it [through the corners], feels a little more comfortable. I feel like I can definitely drive, no problem.”
Aston Martin enjoyed a strong day, with the AMR23 car appearing to have tremendous pace.
Stroll’s team-mate Fernando Alonso topped the FP2 session, while Stroll ended up in sixth position in the sister car.
“It’s looking amazing,” Stroll said. “And it’s feeling great in the car too, so really top job from everyone.”
When asked if he was dreaming of an all-Aston Martin front row for qualifying, Stroll replied: “That would be awesome! We’ll try.”
Keyword: Stroll can ‘definitely drive’ despite FP2 wrist discomfort