The Aston Martin Formula 1 team's chief trackside officer Mike Krack has dismissed certain speculation around the injury that ruled Lance Stroll out of the Spanish Grand Prix as "paddock gossip".
Stroll missed the Barcelona race as Aston Martin said he has been suffering from pain in his hand and wrist that is a legacy of the surgery he had following a cycling accident in early 2023, which forced him to miss pre-season testing.
The team said on Saturday night that Stroll would undergo a procedure to address the problem but did not disclose anything else. It confirmed on Tuesday morning that this procedure had now taken place.
At Barcelona, there was quickly speculation about the circumstances of Stroll's injury, why it had not emerged previously, and how it was handled - with the stewards formally warning Aston Martin for not alerting them to Stroll's medical issue, as he stayed in the garage instead of reporting immediately to be weighed after Q2.
What happened in the garage?
Stroll returned to the garage after his Q2 elimination and spent five minutes inside with his team before proceeding out the back via the paddock.
This was in contravention of F1's rules that require a driver to report immediately to being weighed, down the pitlane, but the stewards accepted there was a medical condition being tended to as Stroll said he needed urgent assistance.
One version of events that quickly gained traction at Barcelona was that Stroll had lost his temper after qualifying 14th, criticised team members, and potentially injured his hand or aggravated the pre-existing problem by hitting a hard surface in the garage.
Krack described this as "paddock gossip" and said "I was on the pitwall and I've not heard anything like that".
He did not comment directly on whether Stroll lost his temper although a team spokesperson said earlier in the weekend that "Lance was upset" and the injury and the episode in the garage were unrelated.
How long has Stroll been hurt?
Aston Martin said that Stroll has been experiencing pain for the last six weeks.
Taken at face value that period covers the Saudi Arabian, Miami, Imola, Monaco and Spain weekends, during which Stroll was outqualified by Fernando Alonso every time although he did get a points finish in the Miami sprint race thanks to - ironically - a safety car caused by Alonso crashing out.
As the problem presumably escalated in Spain in some way, either Stroll himself felt that he was no longer able to keep driving or the medical advice he was being given changed.
Krack said that Stroll had mentioned his discomfort during that recent period and suggested he had been in more pain than he let on.
"Over the last weeks, there was the mention of pain," said Krack. "You do not ask every five minutes, 'Do you have pain or not?', you know, you have a chat here with a physio, or here a chat, and you understand that there are some small issues.
"With drivers, and we have seen with Lance in 2023 when he fought his way back, they want to drive. They do not want to be out.
"Often they drive with probably more pain than they would even admit to be able to drive, because this is what they love to do.
"So, over the last weeks, there was a mention here and there, but you're never aware how much it is.
"I think it was just getting too much. After qualifying, Lance and his team decided it was better to go and check again, and then the recommendation was: better not race."
What's his recovery plan?
Aston Martin's initial announcement did not give an indication of when his procedure would happen, what kind of operation was required and how much time Stroll would need to recover. But it said on Tuesday morning that it had now been completed by the same team that operated on him in 2023, when renowned MotoGP surgeon Dr Xavier Mir and his team led the process.
His initial surgery in 2023 was quite extensive after injuring both hands and his leg, but Stroll was back in the car and racing at the season opener within a fortnight.
That was felt by some to be too soon in the circumstances and, while any suggestion that the process was rushed was dismissed by Stroll and Aston Martin at the time, later that year - when Stroll was struggling and his form was criticised - it was claimed that his start to the season had been compromised by the impact of his injuries.
Given he is now said to be suffering pain related to that initial surgery, it would seem logical not to rush any procedure or recovery period.
Krack said it is "a little bit difficult to predict anything" and "we will have to see what the next days are bringing".
But he did say that Aston Martin's 'Plan A' is for Stroll to race at home in Canada in two weeks' time, so clearly there is at least some expectation that this is not that severe.
Who will race if Stroll can't?
Aston Martin has two official reserve drivers: Felipe Drugovich, who deputised for Stroll in the 2023 pre-season test and has driven the 2025 car in FP1 already in Bahrain, and Stoffel Vandoorne.
It also has access to Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas.
Drugovich is a regular presence at F1 races, has a lot of experience in different Aston Martin F1 cars and on the simulator, and would be the obvious choice to stand in for Stroll and make his grand prix debut.
He could not substitute for the Spanish GP, though, because Stroll withdrew too late in the weekend.
And the Canadian GP is awkward for Aston Martin because both Drugovich and Vandoorne are set to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours that weekend in the top class, Vandoorne for Peugeot and Drugovich for Cadillac.
When Krack mentioned Stroll racing is "Plan A, and that is what we are working to" he said if that does not work then it will need Plan B but "obviously, we always knew that Le Mans was going to happen".
He said that Aston Martin has priority over either of its Le Mans-bound drivers, so if either Drugovich or Vandoorne is needed, they will be pulled from that and race in Canada.
Presumably a decision is needed this week given the Le Mans test day is at the weekend, but Krack would not elaborate on a timeline.
"We wait to see what the next days are bringing and then we take a decision," he said.
