Stroll in Bahrain for FIA medical checks

Lance Stroll has travelled to Bahrain ahead of this weekend’s 2023 season opener.

The Canadian, whose father Lawrence owns the team, sat out pre-season testing for Aston Martin last week after a reported mountain biking fall in Spain.

But according to Sky Italia, he successfully underwent surgery for a wrist injury and late on Wednesday "will arrive in Bahrain in the evening".

The report admitted that the 24-year-old may still be replaced this weekend by reserve Felipe Drugovich, but only if Stroll fails "the FIA medical checks".

If he gets the OK, Stroll will find himself at the wheel of a 2023 car that has stunned the Formula 1 paddock with its potential spot within the top 3 teams.

"What they have done is almost incomprehensible," well-known Spanish journalist Antonio Lobato told Marca sports newspaper.

"While the rest of the teams did an evolution of last year’s car, Aston Martin threw everything in the bin and have made a 95 percent new car.

"And the thing is that it not only worked, but that it also surprised them."

Stroll’s teammate Fernando Alonso, however, is keen to keep expectations in check.

"I know there’s a lot of attention about the laptimes, but you never know what the others are doing," he said.

"But the car is easy to drive and has a working window that is very different to last year. It looks like it’s a good base for future cars, but nothing more than that at the moment."

Alonso, a former double world champion, will turn 42 this season but he is already planning to stay at Aston Martin for up to four more years.

"I don’t have unlimited time," he is quoted by AS newspaper. "I’m not 20 years old.

"But hopefully I can win a championship with Aston Martin in my remaining active days. I have two years in my head minimum, but then there are three years, four years," he smiled.