Lance Stroll is set to make a surprise return to GT racing, taking advantage of the April break in the Formula 1 calendar to line up in the GT World Challenge Europe.

The Aston Martin driver appears on the entry list for the season-opening round at Circuit Paul Ricard, scheduled for 11–12 April. The gap in the F1 schedule was caused by the cancellation of two Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia amid tensions in the Middle East.

Stroll will drive an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 run by Comtoyou Racing, sharing the car with former Formula 1 driver Roberto Merhi and young Spanish talent Mari Boya.

Although Stroll is best known for his Formula 1 career, this will not be his first experience in endurance-style racing. Earlier in his career, he competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona on two occasions before focusing fully on his single-seater commitments with Williams and later Aston Martin.

The outing offers Stroll, who already tested GT3 car earlier this week, a chance to gain additional track time in a different category, while also keeping race sharpness during a period without Formula 1 action.

Stroll is not the first current Formula 1 driver to try GT racing this year, with Max Verstappen having already competed in the NLS championship in March and expected to take part in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring as well.