Fernando Alonso Explains Lance Stroll’s Absence is Going To Harm Aston Martin

Aston Martin’s new recruit Fernando Alonso seems to be getting along well with his new team as he recorded the most number of laps in pre-season testing.

In the absence of injured teammate Lance Stroll, the Spaniard registered a whopping 270 laps alone across the three days of testing. He was followed by AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries (246) and Williams’ Logan Sargeant (229).

After pre-season testing in Bahrain concluded, Alonso explained the important feedback the team missed because of the absence of Stroll. The Canadian missed pre-season testing after he suffered a bike accident while training in Spain.

Also Read: F1 Testing Day 3 Results: Pre-season Testing Result After Day 3

“It hurt a lot”: Fernando Alonso on Lance Stroll’s absence

Despite recording 270 laps during pre-season testing, Fernando Alonso does not believe the team have gathered enough data to evaluate where they stand ahead of the new season.

The Spaniard believes that since he is new to the team, teammate Lance Stroll could have given better feedback on how the car has improved or worsened compared to last season. Thus he feels Stroll’s absence “hurt a lot.”

“Some of my comments, my feelings with the car, we never know if it’s just me in a new team and a new car,” explained Alonso when asked about how Stroll’s absence affected the team.

However, Alonso did sound optimistic when it came to the overall performance of the car. The 41-year-old said the car felt good across all three pre-season testing days and believes the team can extract a lot more in the future.

Will Lance Stroll miss F1 2023 season opener in Bahrain?

The first race of the F1 2023 season will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit from March 3-5. It remains to be seen if Lance Stroll can recover in time, as less than a week remains before the season opener.

While Aston Martin did provide an update on the Canadian’s injuries, they did not reveal any timeline for his return. Team principal Mike Krack said that the 24-year-old did not participate in pre-season testing as a precautionary measure.

When asked to elaborate on Stroll’s injuries, Krack refused to delve much further into it as he said it is a ‘personal issue.’ He said that Stroll suffered an injury on his wrist and hand.

If Stroll is indeed ruled out for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the team could ask reserve driver Felipe Drugovich to fill the second seat alongside Fernando Alonso.

Also Read: Fernando Alonso Gives Aston Martin Scare To Max Verstappen With Marginal Difference After Day 2 at Sakhir Pre-Season Testing