Aston Martin's Lance Stroll saw his hopes for a strong Dutch Grand Prix qualifying vanish in a heartbeat after a dramatic high-speed crash at the challenging Zandvoort circuit.
The Canadian driver lost control of his AMR23 through the high-speed Hugenholtzbocht corner, spearing heavily into the barriers and bringing out the red flags. The session was immediately halted as marshals attended to the stricken car and assessed the extensive damage.
In a testament to modern F1 safety, Stroll was able to climb from the wreckage unaided and walk away from the substantial impact. The team confirmed he was unhurt in the incident, but the same could not be said for his chassis.
The crash marks another brutal setback for Stroll in a challenging 2023 season. He will now start Sunday's race from the very back of the grid, a devastating blow at a circuit notorious for its difficulty in overtaking.
This incident throws a major spanner in the works for Aston Martin's constructor championship ambitions, placing immense pressure on teammate Fernando Alonso to deliver a strong points finish alone.
The Zandvoort circuit, with its banked corners and narrow confines, has once again lived up to its reputation as one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar, biting yet another world-class driver.
