Lance Stroll will not race in tonight’s Singapore Grand Prix after his massive crash in qualifying on Saturday.
The Canadian was trying to make it through to Q2 when he lost control in the high-speed final corner and hit the barrier heavily on the outside of the track, severely damaging the car.
Although Stroll was able to climb out unaided and was subsequently cleared and released from the medical center, Aston Martin says he is still sore after the impact and with such a big repair job for the team the decision has been made to withdraw the car.
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“The whole team are relieved that Lance was able to step out of the car after yesterday’s accident – however, he is still feeling the after-effects of such a high-impact crash,” team principal Mike Krack said. “Our priority now is that he makes a full and speedy recovery.
“Together, we have decided that he will sit out this evening’s race and instead focus fully on returning to the cockpit for next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.”
Stroll will not be replaced in Singapore as his withdrawal came after qualifying and a replacement would need to have taken part in a practice or qualifying session to be able to drive. That leaves 19 cars on the grid for tonight’s race, and just one Aston Martin with Fernando Alonso starting from seventh.
The only race Stroll has missed in his seven-year Formula 1 career to date is the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix when he was withdrawn due to COVID, and he raced in Bahrain earlier this year despite fracturing both wrists and a toe a few weeks previously.