ASTON MARTIN driver Lance Stroll will be forced to miss this week’s pre-season testing after having an accident while riding his bicycle.
The Silverstone-based team say the Canadian suffered a “minor accident and sustained injuries which will result in him sitting out the pre-season test in Bahrain”.
Stroll is into his seventh season in F1Rex
The 24-year-old, the son of the team’s owner Lawrence Stroll, is expected to be fit for the season-opener in Bahrain on March 5.
Stroll said: “I’ve had an unfortunate accident whilst training on my bike in preparation for the season.
“I am determined to get back in the car and I am excited about the season ahead with the team. I am motivated to bounce back from this setback as quickly as possible.”
Aston Martin confirmed the news on their Twitter page this afternoon.
They said expect Stoll to make a quick recovery and said they will issue an update ahead of the opening race of the season.
The news means new driver Fernando Alonso, who made a dramatic switch from Alpine last year, is now set to have all three days to himself to become acquainted with the new machinery.
While this season won’t see the sweeping rule changes of last year, each team will still be looking to make tweaks to their car to find lap time.
Pre-season testing gives fans the first chance to see who has gained some pace relative to their rivals and who needs to go back to the drawing board.
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