Canadian driver Lance Stroll will compete in Formula One’s Bahrain Grand Prix season-opener this weekend after missing testing due to a wrist injury, his Aston Martin team said on Thursday.
The Canadian said he underwent successful minor surgery to his right wrist after a bicycle accident while training in Spain.
He did not say when the accident or injury happened, with Aston Martin first making it known publicly on Feb. 20.
Stroll has so far had just 17 shakedown laps at a damp Silverstone in the new AMR23 car.
Brazilian reserve Felipe Drugovich had been on standby in case Stroll, son of the team’s billionaire owner Lawrence, could not race.
The team had given few details about the nature of Stroll’s injury or the circumstances, but the 24-year-old filled in some of the gaps in a statement.
“It was an unfortunate accident, I fell from my bike when my tyre caught a hole in the ground, but thankfully the damage was not significant and a successful minor surgery on my right wrist fixed the problem very quickly,” he said.
“Since then, I’ve been working hard with my team to ensure that I am fully fit to compete this weekend.”
Stroll said it had been frustrating to miss the three-day test at Sakhir, with the AMR23 impressing observers with its speed.
Two times world champion Fernando Alonso, who has joined from Renault-owned Alpine, was second fastest on the opening day and third fastest on the second when the Spaniard completed 130 laps.
“Given the injury to my wrist, the team and I felt it was best to focus on recovery so that I would be ready for this weekend and the long season ahead,” said Stroll.
“Now I’m ready to get my head down and concentrate on racing this weekend, something I’m really looking forward to.”
Aston Martin finished seventh overall last year but are tipped to move up the pecking order.
The team said Drugovich and their other reserve Stoffel Vandoorne would be at the circuit this weekend.
