Aston Martin F1 driver Lance Stroll will not take part in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix due to pain in his hand.

On Saturday Stroll had qualified in 14th, but the Canadian will not take up his grid position tomorrow after experiencing recurring pain in his right hand and wrist.

The team said the discomfort was related to him fracturing his hand in a cycling accident on the eve of the 2023 season, and Stroll will now undergo surgery to fix the issue.

“Over the course of the past six weeks Lance has been experiencing pain in his hand and wrist, which his medical consultant believes is in relation to the procedure he underwent in 2023,” Aston Martin said.

“As a result his medical team have confirmed that he will not race tomorrow and he will undergo a procedure to rectify these issues before focusing on his recovery.”

A week before Bahrain’s 2023 pre-season test, Stroll sustained injuries during a training ride in Malaga, including fractures in both wrists as well as a broken toe.

Having had screws inserted into his right wrist, Stroll sat out testing but made a swift recovery way ahead of schedule. The following week he took part in the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix, battling through the pain all weekend to score an impressive sixth place as Aston made a flying start to the season.

Stroll will now miss a grand prix after all, two years after the initial injury. At the time of writing it is not yet known if Stroll will recover from the procedure in time for F1’s next race at the Canadian Grand Prix, but Stroll will understandably be keen to ensure he is fighting fit for his home race in Montreal in two weeks’ time. First practice for the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve event is scheduled on Friday 13 June.

Stroll pulling out after qualifying means Aston Martin will only enter Fernando Alonso’s car in the Spanish Grand Prix, with 19 cars on the starting grid.

Detroit — When Ricky Taylor of Cadillac crossed over Felipe Nasr of Porsche to take the lead, Renger Van Der Zande of Acura stayed right behind.

Denny Hamlin, who already has two Cup wins this year, is set to make his 700th career Cup start on Sunday. However, the expected arrival of a baby boy may keep him from the track.

Hamlin and long-time partner Jordan Fish already have two girls, but the due date for their first-born son is June 1st — the same day as the Cup race at Nashville.

Ryan Truex, younger brother of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., is the reserve driver and will be called upon to pilot the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota should Hamlin have to leave the track. 

Truex has 26 Cup Series starts, but none since the 2014 season — almost 11 years ago. Most recently, Truex has competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JGR, winning three races since 2023. 

Hamlin is scheduled to start from the outside of the front row for Sunday’s 400-mile race with teammate Chase Briscoe earning pole position. If Hamlin starts the event and Truex has to replace him mid-race, then Hamlin will get credit for the final finishing position. However, if Hamlin misses the start, the car will go to the rear of the field and Truex will get credit for the start.

NASCAR has introduced a stricter playoff waiver policy for 2025 and has promised to strip drivers of all playoff points if they need a waiver for non-medical reasons. However, missing a race for the birth of a child is covered under valid medical reasons, so there is no issue for Hamlin should he need to miss the race entirely.

Photos from Nashville – Practice & Qualifying

NASCAR star Denny Hamlin has been denied pole position after an exciting qualifying session at Nashville, whilst 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson suffered a nightmare session.

Hamlin was beaten to pole position for Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, with the No. 19 car edging the No. 11 by just 0.049 seconds around Nashville Superspeedway.

It is Briscoe’s second consecutive pole position after also topping Coca-Cola 600 qualifying at Charlotte last weekend, although the 30-year-old will be hoping he can convert it into a win this time around.

Hamlin, meanwhile, will have to make do with second, if he takes part in the race, that is. The Joe Gibbs Racing star is on standby as he awaits the birth of his baby son and has said he will skip the race to be there for his family.

Elsewhere in Nashville, it was a poor session for Hendrick Motorsports star Larson, failing to bounce back in the way we are used to after the disappointment of two wrecks last Sunday as he attempted ‘the double’.

The No. 5 car was only 28th quickest in qualifying this evening, with plenty of work for Larson and his team to do on race day if they want to secure a strong result.

With that said, let’s take a look at the full results from Saturday’s qualifying.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin NASCAR replacement on standby at Nashville as JGR star could miss race

NASCAR Cup Series: Who is on pole at Nashville?

After qualifying on Saturday afternoon, here is the starting lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, with times included.

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