Most drivers clocked 23-26 laps during the first hour of running at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, but Stroll could only complete five tours and team-mate Fernando Alonso was limited to 18 laps.
This will prove particularly costly because Aston Martin is trying to validate an upgraded floor and bodywork, plus the sprint race format means the team now moves straight into GP qualifying.
Explaining the FP1 unreliability, team principal Krack said: "We went out for the first run to check the car basically and we had a bit of an overheating issue on the front-left for both cars.
"We had to come in because we saw we had a fire from the onboards."
After an inspection, it was determined that the damage to Stroll's AMR23 was extensive enough to mean repairs could not be completed in time to get him back on the circuit, while Alonso was able to resume.
Krack clarified that the issues were unrelated to the new and upgraded components.
Source: Autosport