Who will take Lance Stroll's vacant Aston Martin seat after high-impact crash?

As Q1 in qualifying for Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix drew to a close, Lance Stroll smashed his Aston Martin into the wall at the final corner.

Trying to progress into Q2 and not be last of the 20 runners, the Canadian got his turn-in wrong, unsettling the car and careening into the barricades.

Though he walked away unscathed, a procedural trip to the medical centre gave him the all-clear. However, just hours before the race, Aston Martin dropped a bombshell confirming that Stroll would not participate in the race.

READ | Max Verstappen struck by Singapore voodoo again, making win 11 near impossible

"Following Lance's crash in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, Lance and the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team have jointly agreed that he will not participate in this evening's race," the statement read.

"The team face a huge job repairing the car, and Lance is still sore following such a high impact. Lance's focus now shifts to fully recovering ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix."

A huge impact ended Lance Stroll's qualifying session early#SingaporeGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/xnpOGSsgsZ

The candidates

Aston Martin is fortunate to have two reserve drivers on their books: Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne.

Vandoorne is no stranger to F1, having competed in the sport for McLaren between 2016 and 2018. Having raced during one of the most turbulent in McLaren's F1 history, the Belgian sought other racing opportunities, including Formula E, where he won the championship in 2022.

READ | Top 3 qualifiers react to 'messy, physical' qualifying for Singapore Grand Prix

At 31, he brings a wealth of experience, along with 23-year-old Drugovich.

The Brazilian is the 2018 Euro Formula Open and 2022 Formula 2 champions.

Given how