Fernando Alonso to be only Aston Martin car in Spanish GP
Barcelona: Aston Martin have confirmed that Lance Stroll will miss the Spanish Grand Prix as the Canadian is scheduled to undergo a medical procedure following pain in his hand and wrist.
Stroll took part in Qualifying at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Saturday and finished 14th but the team announced a few hours later that he will sit out the rest of the weekend.
A statement released by Aston Martin read, '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. 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.'
Stroll suffered fractures and a broken toe in a cycling accident during the 2023 pre-season, which required surgery and a period of rehabilitation. Despite initial doubts from his medical team about whether he could compete in the early races, he made a successful return for the season opener in Bahrain, finishing an impressive sixth.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Stroll revealed that he had adopted a more cautious approach to his training routine. Now in his seventh season with Aston Martin - having joined the team in 2019 when it was still operating as Racing Point - the 26-year-old currently holds 11th place in the Drivers' Championship with 14 points.
His results have helped place the British team eighth in the Constructors' standings, while teammate Fernando Alonso, yet to score points this season, is set to start Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix from 10th on the grid. Due to the sporting regulations, Fernando will be their only car competing in the race.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Liverpool signs Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for huge fee that could climb to $156 million
Liverpool delivered a huge statement of intent after winning the Premier League title by signing Germany star Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday (June 20, 2025). The transfer fee could climb to 116 million pounds ($156 million), which would make the 22-year-old Wirtz the most expensive player in the history of British soccer. 'I feel very happy and very proud," Wirtz told the official Liverpool website. "Finally it's done and I was waiting for a long time. 'I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League. 'I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best. I spoke also with some players who played there and they told me that it's perfect for me and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I'm really looking forward to playing my first game.' Liverpool, determined to keep moving forward despite securing a record-tying 20th English top-flight title, splashed out a club record to bring in not only one of the best players from Germany, but one of the top youngsters in the world. Wirtz has been a key first-team player for Leverkusen since he was 17. He was the outstanding attacking player in the team that won the Bundesliga and German Cup in 2023-24 without losing a game, and is a regular in Germany's national team. It's why Liverpool was ready to pay a guaranteed 100 million pounds, plus 16 million pounds in potential add-ons. Wirtz had two years left on his contract, giving Leverkusen leverage in negotiations. The Premier League record for an initial fee was set when Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for 106.7 million pounds ($131.4 million at the time) in 2023, before the London club agreed to pay up to 115 million pounds ($146 million at the time) for midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton later that year. Liverpool manager Arne Slot arrived last summer and signed just one outfield player — forward Federico Chiesa — for the 2024-25 season. Chiesa barely played and the Reds won the league by 10 points, after which Slot and some of his players — including Virgil van Dijk — spoke about there being big plans for this transfer window. Having already signed right wing back Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen for a reported 35 to 40 million euros ($39.7 million to $45.4 million), Liverpool has returned to the German club to take Wirtz, who rejected an opportunity to join Bayern Munich — a Bundesliga rival which has long pursued him. One obstacle to that move was the size of the fee Leverkusen wanted. Another was concern over how Wirtz might fit into the same lineup as Jamal Musiala, Germany's other standout young attacking midfielder. Losing Wirtz leaves Leverkusen and its new coach, Erik ten Hag with an even bigger rebuild following the departure of Xabi Alonso for Real Madrid. Just after his 17th birthday, Wirtz became the youngest player in Leverkusen's history when he made his debut against Werder Bremen in May 2020, in an empty stadium at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A month later he was the youngest player to score in Bundesliga history, though that record has since been topped. Wirtz's versatile attacking midfield play was a vital ingredient in Alonso transforming Leverkusen into a team that could win the Bundesliga and German Cup without losing a game. He and Alonso stayed for another sometimes-disappointing season which ended with second place to Bayern in the league and a loss to Bayern in the Champions League round of 16. Wirtz showed he can deal with adversity when a cruciate ligament tear in his knee ruled him out for almost all of 2022 — including Alonso's first games as coach — before he returned to power Leverkusen to its league and cup double in 2023-24. Wirtz has become a vital player for the German national team with 29 caps. He played all five of its matches at Euro 2024 on home soil. He's also had to contend with hostility from fans of his boyhood club Cologne, which he left for nearby Leverkusen at 16. Liverpool and Bayern were reportedly interested then, too. Cologne claimed that deal broke an agreement between the clubs not to pursue each other's youth players. Leverkusen argued Wirtz was so talented that he counted as a first-team player despite his age. Cologne and Leverkusen are barely 10 kilometers (6 miles) apart, so going to Liverpool will be the first time that Wirtz has moved away from his roots. His parents Hans Wirtz and Karin Gross have played a big role in his career — they were also his agents until last year — and he's close to his older sister Juliane, a professional player for Werder Bremen in the women's Bundesliga. Wirtz's decision to turn down Bayern and the Bundesliga for Liverpool has caused some raised eyebrows in Germany. 'I wouldn't have thought Florian would make this switch so early,' former Germany great Lothar Matthäus told broadcaster n-tv last month. 'But he wants to get out of his comfort zone.' Wirtz seems likely to slot in as the No. 10 at Liverpool, a more creative solution in that role compared to the hard-running Dominik Szoboszlai. Whether Slot also now pushes for a new striker as an upgrade to current options Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez remains to be seen. Szoboszlai could drop back into one of the two deeper midfield positions, competing with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
JLR to face $2.1bn tariff hit: Chandra
Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran Mumbai: Tata Motors-owned British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover faces potential tariff impacts of 1.6 billion pounds (about $2.1 billion) from new US trade measures, Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran said. He noted that ongoing mitigation plans aim to reduce this impact to 600 million pounds. "Tariff is a major issue, primarily for JLR," said Chandrasekaran at Tata Motors ' 80th AGM on Friday. "Without intervention, JLR's tariff rate would have gone from 2.5% to 27.5%. With the US-UK trade deal, the 27.5% tariff will drop to 10%. The overall impact even of the 10% will be 1.6 billion pounds. But JLR has taken a lot of steps through which it will be able to reduce the impact to 600 million pounds." This AGM marked Chandrasekaran's first appearance at a shareholder meeting after the Air India flight 171 crash on June 12, having missed shareholder meetings at Tata Consumer Products and TCS. The meeting held additional significance as it was the final AGM for Tata Motors before its division into two listed companies by year-end, focusing on passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, respectively. Chandrasekaran also assured shareholders that China's export restrictions on rare earth magnets pose no immediate supply concerns, while the company explores alternative sourcing options. Rare earth elements play a crucial role in the production of permanent magnets, which are essential components in electric motors. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Liverpool's biggest-ever transfer! Florian Wirtz joins Premier League club from Bayer Leverkusen in stunning record deal
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz (AP Photo) Florian Wirtz has joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record fee, following the Reds' 20th English top-flight title victory under Arne Slot. Former Liverpool midfielder and Wirtz's ex-coach Xabi Alonso has already recognised him as one of the world's best players. British media has reported that Liverpool will pay up to £116 million ($157 million) for the attacking midfielder. German sources suggest an even higher fee, beginning at 130 million euros (£111 million, $149 million) with potential add-ons reaching 150 million euros. A dispute arose between Cologne and Leverkusen five years ago when Leverkusen signed the teenage Wirtz at age 17. Cologne claimed a gentleman's agreement regarding youth players was broken, but Leverkusen maintained Wirtz was a first-team signing. Wirtz's progress was halted by a cruciate knee ligament injury in March 2022, keeping him sidelined for 10 months. Upon his return, he found Alonso as the new Leverkusen manager, leading to the club's most successful period. Under their partnership, Leverkusen ended Bayern Munich's Bundesliga dominance, securing both the league title and German Cup without losing a match in 2023/24. Wirtz celebrated the title-clinching match against Werder Bremen with his first career hat-trick, later earning the Bundesliga player of the year award. "Flo is one of the top players in the world, he's world class," said Real Madrid coach Alonso, who compared his protégé to Lionel Messi in terms of his understanding of the game. "Why is Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to play simple passes. Messi says: 'You're in a better position? Here, there you have the ball'. It's not always about making the most brilliant move, but the best and smartest. Florian can do that. That's why he's so good." Both Wirtz and Alonso initially committed to staying at Leverkusen for another year. However, their Europa League final loss to Atalanta in 2023/24 marked a turning point. Bayern Munich regained control of German football the following season but failed to convince Wirtz to join them. Instead, he chose to move to the Premier League champions. "I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League," said Wirtz. "I spoke also with some players who played there and they told me that it's perfect for me and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I'm really looking forward to playing my first game." Despite his impressive record of 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 games for Leverkusen, Wirtz will start his Liverpool career alongside Mohamed Salah. Liverpool sees Wirtz's creative abilities as key to maintaining Salah's scoring record and supporting the team's attack. The club might sell their previous record signing, Darwin Nunez, who cost £85 million but hasn't met expectations, to offset some of their recent spending. Liverpool aims for Wirtz to adapt to the Premier League's physical demands and help maintain their success under Slot's management. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
