Fernando Alonso hopes Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll will enjoy the upcoming 2026 Formula 1 regulations reset amid his initial apprehension about the new cars.

Next year will see F1 completely revamp the formula with lighter, nimble cars, a 50-50 hybrid power unit, and other additions such as active aero and narrower profiled Pirelli tires.

And while the sport has claimed that these changes will lead to closer racing and a tighter pack, many drivers have raised concerns about driveability and overall performance.

Stroll is no different. The Aston Martin driver revealed that his first impressions of the 2026 cars on the simulator have left him concerned about driving at fast, flowing circuits.

“For us drivers, for sure, I think these kinds of tracks, Spa, Suzuka, you know, high speed, less downforce, it’s not going to be as exciting as what it is now,” he had told media including Motorsport Week.

“That’s just a fact until maybe a couple of years into the regs or whatever, I don’t know.

“But, it’s going to be a hit in downforce, and we’re going to be sliding around more than what we are now.”

What does Alonso think about the 2026 cars?

Alonso also revealed that he had gotten an opportunity to test the 2026 car on the simulator for the Silverstone-based team.

The two-time World Champion concurred with his team-mate about the lack of downforce compared to the ground effects car, but erred on the side of caution.

“I only did one day in the simulator, and it was difficult to really take any conclusions of that,” he asserted.

The 44-year-old said that he will make up his mind only after testing the real car out on the track, but hopes that the result will change his team-mate’s mind.

“So, I will wait a little bit longer, or maybe even to test a real car, because sometimes in the simulator, you have a feeling, and then on the real car you have a different one,” he continued.

“Yeah, it’s less performance than this year. Every time a racing driver tests something that is slower, [they] will never like [it].

“But then we go in a rental car, with 12 horsepower, and we love it [laughs]. When we are all together, you know, and you fight and you win the race and it’s like you win the championship.

“So yeah, if next year you are fast, we will love the cars. And hopefully Lance can enjoy next year. That will be good news.”

READ MORE – Motorsport Week’s F1 2025 Mid-Season Driver Rankings

The post Fernando Alonso responds to Lance Stroll’s concerns about new 2026 F1 cars appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Formula 1 drivers, including Pierre Gasly, have urged for a solution to a “chicken-and-egg” situation regarding visibility during Grands Prix affected by wet weather.

The issue has been simmering during the ground effect era of F1 for some time, but reached a boiling point at the Belgian Grand Prix last month.

Changeable and inclement conditions saw the race delayed by race control for over an hour, leading to an array of contentious opinions from a number of drivers.

Some, including Lewis Hamilton, felt the delay was an overreaction sparked by similarly unpredictable weather at the British Grand Prix earlier that month.

There was also a secondary factor of drivers, who had taken the weather into account regarding their race strategy, were angry that their set-ups were rendered useless.

Other individuals, including McLaren boss Andrea Stella, were more diplomatic on the situation, believing erring on the side of caution was the correct thing to do.

Naturally, these incidents have triggered conversations as to how these issues can be dealt with in the future in such a way that the elements would not block racing from a safety aspect.

Ground effect cars, by default, will cause more spray to be produced from them, often spawned from heavy diffusers and low ride height set-ups.

2026’s cars will be less reliant on ground effect, as they have flatter bottoms which, in theory, should curb the amount of spray being kicked up from one car into the path of another.

This, plus narrower tyres, might help in terms of reducing the dangers of visibility, but the problem is still being discussed as omnipresent into next year.

Gasly revealed that the solutions have been discussed, such as closed-wheel designs to mitigate spray, but acknowledged there is a disconnect between racing in these conditions, and the wet tyre compounds being rendered pointless.

“We know the spray is definitely not great with these cars,” the Frenchman told media including Motorsport Week.

“There’s been quite a lot of testing going on to reduce the spray from a tyre point of view, like a wheel cover, etc.

“I’m not too sure where we are at, but moving forward, we definitely need to find a way to reduce that spray, which then will allow us to race in wet conditions.

“At the moment, when the visibility is fine, there’s no need for the wet tyre. It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg kind of thing and they need to work on that.”

Bigger F1 cars have caused worse spray

Lance Stroll was similarly keen to ensure a resolution of the wet-weather anomaly is found, particularly as tracks such as Spa, due to the nature of its layout, exacerbate the problems.

The Canadian explained to media including Motorsport Week his belief that the evolution of F1 cars size-wise has also contributed hugely to the problem.

“I think the cars have gotten big, the tyres have gotten bigger, the spray has gotten worse over the years. That’s my feeling,” Stroll assessed.

“Visibility is the biggest issue now with the size of the cars and the tyres.

“Races like Spa with the nature of the track, Eau Rouge, going 300 kilometres per hour without seeing anything at the top of the hill – racing conditions like that are hard to go through with and then go racing.

“I don’t know if it’s gotten worse. It’s always been challenging. The spray is the biggest issue and the visibility.

“To go ahead with races like Spa, start earlier and race in proper wet conditions, we need to work on the visibility factor and how we can improve that.”

READ MORE – Why Pierre Gasly would take Alpine being last ‘every day of the week’ in F1 2025

The post F1 drivers implore solution to ‘chicken-and-egg’ situation with wet-weather racing appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Three Formula 1 drivers have disagreed with an “extreme” take by Fernando Alonso that only the McLaren drivers are finding the remainder of this season interesting.

With the second half of the season due to recommence in a few weeks, teams are already ploughing resources and attention into 2026, a year of brand new regulations.

This has led to additional juggling by teams to ensure they are prepared for the new dawn of F1, whilst maintaining work on their current prospects for the remainder of this year.

The Spaniard made his comments at the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks ago, saying the rest of the grid, including team personnel, have “80 per cent” focus on 2026 already.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Alonso theorised, are the only drivers still interested given the likelihood that one of the two men will be crowned World Champion.

“Not only on the engineers and the design team. It’s also the drivers’ ahead, apart maybe from the two McLaren drivers,” Alonso added.

But prior to last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Liam Lawson, Charles Leclerc and Alonso’s Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll offered some contradiction.

“For sure, it’s going to be more exciting for the McLaren drivers than the rest of us,” the Canadian told media including Motorsport Week.

“But every race you never know what’s going to happen. We’re all in our own different battles. Some of us are trying to pick up a point or two and that’s a victory for us as a team.

“McLaren are fighting to win the race every weekend. We’re all fighting our own battles. I’m enjoying every weekend as they come and you never know what’s going to happen.

“The future, next year, like I said earlier, is a big opportunity for all the teams. That’s exciting to see how it’s going to fall into place.”

Drivers ‘fully motivated’ to strive for positive results in 2025

Leclerc concurred with Stroll, saying that every driver on the grid is in their own personal battle to achieve something before the season’s end.

“I agree. It’s maybe a bit extreme to say that only the McLaren drivers will be having fun,” the Monegasque stated. “We are all fighting for something.

“It would be very optimistic for me to say that I’m fighting for the World Championship. That’s not realistic anymore.

“However, we are fighting for coming back to winning races. For that, I’m very excited and I just hope it will be as soon as possible.

“I’m still fully motivated and excited whenever there’s a race.”

Lawson offered agreement to both men, citing Racing Bulls’ current fight in the midfield as an example of how teams and drivers still have so much to strive for.

“These guys said it well,” the Kiwi added. “With how close the midfield is right now, it’s definitely exciting from our perspective depending on how the weekends are going.

“We’re all on our own path and in our own fights. We’re all focused on those individual things at the moment.”

READ MORE – Lewis Hamilton urges F1 to evolve from drivers being ‘bound’ by contracts

The post F1 trio disagree with ‘extreme’ Fernando Alonso McLaren take appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Fernando Alonso believes the Hungaroring suits the AMR25 after both Aston Martin drivers came within a whisker of taking pole position for Formula 1‘s Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Silverstone-based squad had been showing positive one-lap pace through all three free practice sessions, which continued when it really mattered in qualifying.

Alonso and Lance Stroll became genuine challengers for pole, finishing fifth and sixth respectively, just over a tenth of a second behind the eventual pole time set by Charles Leclerc.

Alonso revealed to media including Motorsport Week that the tight and twisty profile of the circuit appeared to be a match made in heaven for the AMR25 package.

“We didn’t change the car massively since Spa seven days ago, no new parts for anybody at this race,” he said.

“Just the layout, the characteristics of the circuit, is suiting our car, apparently.

“It would be nice to understand this, why the car is operating in this sweet spot here because, if we understand that, we can use it in the next few races.”

Alonso was adamant that the car, which has not been a particularly competitive one across a number of races this year, is as good as it can be on every circuit, amid changes to its floor in previous races.

“I’m quite happy, and I feel the team is happy with all the upgrades we brought this year,” he said.

“The Imola floor, the Silverstone floor, and the front wing at Spa – all three of them, they were just delivering exactly what we were hoping for, and what we saw in the wind tunnel. So the correlation is very good.

“It’s true that for some circuits and some speeds, some floors can work in a different way, and some will be better in certain circuits, and some in another.

“I think we put the fastest car possible on track every weekend.”

Alonso added that he was aiming for himself and Stroll to try and finish where they will start, saying it would be a huge morale boost for the team ahead of the summer break, after what has been a tricky season for the team so far.

“I would like if we can finish in the same positions as we start, fifth and sixth will be lovely in terms of points for the team before the summer break – that will be the first target,” he said.

“If we can recover any places, it would be good. But I think we need to understand as well that there are some threats from behind, some fast cars – Max and Lewis are behind, so it’s not going to be easy.”

Stroll: ‘It’s been a while’ since Aston Martin car felt this good

Stroll corroborated Alonso’s theory that the circuit was a good fit for the car, again saying it was the primary reason for the performance, and not the aforementioned floor changes.

“Yeah, more than the floors and stuff, I think it’s the track, it really suits our car,” he told media including Motorsport Week.

“I think when we put on the downforce and the conditions are cool and there’s a lot of wind, we’re kind of where we need to be.

“For the performance of the car, all weekend it’s been there, it’s been the windows since the first lap of Q1. 

“We’ve been kind of tough, 6-7 just most of the weekend. It’s just really nice to drive it.”

When asked when the car felt this good to drive, Stroll quipped: “It’s been a while.”

READ MORE – Max Verstappen at a loss as ‘nothing works’ for Red Bull in F1 Hungarian GP qualifying

The post How Aston Martin came close to shock F1 Hungarian GP pole appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Nico Hulkenberg spoke of his confusion at what he branded a “peculiar” incident with Lance Stroll in the pitlane in qualifying at Formula 1‘s Belgian Grand Prix.

The German attempted to join the queue of cars leaving the pits at the start of Q1 at Spa-Francorchamps, but he collided with the Canadian’s Aston Martin.

The small collision resulted in Hulkenberg’s Sauber sustaining front wing damage, and both men were summoned to the stewards after the session.

Hulkenberg felt that he was in the right, telling media including Motorsport Week that he felt he was sufficiently ahead of Stroll when leaving his pit box.

“When you have a front wheel crossing that white line between the pitlane, the fast lane and the slow lane, the next driver is supposed to let you in, slot you in,” he said. “And I believe my tyre was there, so I thought he would let me in, and then he didn’t.

“So we touched. A bit peculiar and obviously unnecessary that we lose a front wing like this. I hope we can recover it.”

When asked if he thought he would be vindicated, Hulkenberg responded: “Well, we’ll see. I think we’ll go to the stewards and see what they say.”

Stroll shifts blame as Hulkenberg heading for ‘tough and difficult’ race

The incident will be open to debate, with Stroll also claiming he was in the right, saying: “I was just doing my thing in the queue and, yeah, I think he was trying to get his nose in the queue.

“I didn’t have to [let him in]. I mean, I was in the queue.”

The race director’s notes stated that: “Once a car has left its garage or pitstop position, it should blend into the fast lane as soon as it is safe to do so, and without unnecessarily impeding cars which are already in the fast lane.

“Thus, after the start or restart of a free practice session, sprint qualifying or qualifying session, if there is a suitable gap in a queue of cars in the fast lane, such that a driver can blend into the fast lane safely and without unnecessarily impeding cars already in the fast lane, they are free to do so.”

Hulkenberg isn’t feeling optimistic for Sunday’s race and feels a repeat of his podium heroics from Silverstone last time out is unlikely.

“It’s very tough and difficult, especially around here in Spa,” he conceded. “It’s such a long lap as well.

“It can be very different conditions between one place and another place on the track, so difficult task for everyone coming up I would say.”

READ MORE – How an ‘aggressive’ Red Bull upgrade inspired Yuki Tsunoda breakthrough in Belgium

The post Nico Hulkenberg and Lance Stroll divided over ‘peculiar’ F1 Belgian GP qualifying pitlane clash appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher laid into Lance Stroll for his post-race radio outburst about Aston Martin’s 2025 car following the British Grand Prix.

Stroll, who was briefly in contention for a fourth career podium at Silverstone, was visibly irate as he crossed the chequered flag in seventh place.

“I mean it’s the worst piece of sh*t I’ve ever driven to be honest,” said Stroll to his race engineer, Gary Gannon, on the post-race team radio.

The AMR25 struggled with tyre degradation throughout the 52-lap wet-dry thriller. The Canadian driver first lost his podium place to Nico Hulkenberg owing to his withering Intermediate tyres. The last phase of the race, on slicks, saw Stroll concede further places, and a last-lap move by Pierre Gasly demoted him to seventh.

Former F1 driver Schumacher, however, was left unimpressed by Stroll’s public berating of the team’s efforts.

The ex-Williams driver questioned the Canadian’s “manners” and labelled his outburst as “an absolute no-go”.

“We are often criticised for being too harsh on him [Stroll], and maybe we are sometimes,” he told Sky Deutschland.

“I have to say, this statement is very disappointing, and quite honestly, it’s a question of manners. You have to imagine the external impact.

“The mechanics who work there day in, day out so that the two can race – and then the boss’s son comes along and says: ‘Wonderful, and with such a crappy car.’ I have to say, that’s completely unacceptable, that’s an absolute no-go.”

Schumacher urges Stroll to apologise

Stroll has come under scrutiny for his public display of emotions in the past. At the 2023 Qatar GP, Stroll was seen pushing trainer Henry Howe after failing to make it out of Q1.

Schumacher believes that such incidents, where Stroll lets his emotions get the better of him, are only making matters worse for his public image among fans.

He also urged the 26-year-old to promptly accept his fault and apologise to the entire team.

“I would hope that at the next race he goes and apologises. It’s just a shame, unspeakable, and it indicates a poor upbringing,” Schumacher explained.

“I don’t know what movie he thinks he is in, but such statements diminish his own results. These are important points, after all. One mustn’t forget: These are also important bonuses for the mechanics and the like.”

“And when someone then ruins it like that – quite honestly, you have to say: Grade F, dear Lance – and apologise to the team.”

READ MORE – Lance Stroll slams ‘sad’ F1 2026 regulations that drivers won’t criticise for ‘political reasons’

The post Lance Stroll urged to apologise for ‘unacceptable’ F1 British GP radio outburst appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Lance Stroll has criticised the 2026 Formula 1 regulations as “sad” as he expressed how he feels many drivers stay silent about their true feelings due to political pressures.

The Canadian driver isn’t the first to voice concerns over the upcoming rules reset, with Charles Leclerc expressing his views at the Red Bull Ring.

Speaking in Austria, the Ferrari driver proclaimed he was “not a fan” of how the car may feel and how he thinks it will be “less enjoyable for drivers to drive”.

Williams Team Principal James Vowles, however, offered a more optimistic view, highlighting the significant potential of the 2026 regulations and the opportunities they present for teams.

Concerns about next year’s cars stem from the greater reliance on battery power, with reduced downforce and drag cuts implemented to prevent drivers from running out of energy.

As a result, some drivers have come away disappointed after getting their first taste of the early development cars on the simulator.

One of those drivers is Stroll, who expressed his frustration with the new regulations and their impact on racing ahead of the British Grand Prix.

“I don’t know if the regs are so exciting,” he told media including Motorsport Week. I think, yeah, I don’t know…a bit sad if you ask me.”

Asked about his first experience with the 2026 car on the simulator, Stroll added: “I think it’s a bit of a shame F1 is just taking that path of electric energy and we’ve had to shut all the downforce off the cars to support the battery power.

“It would just be fun to see some light, nimble, fast cars with a lot of downforce and just simplify the whole thing a little bit. 

“Less so of an energy, battery, championship science project and more of just a Formula 1 racing championship.”

Stroll hits out at F1’s direction for 2026 and hints at driver silence

Stroll explained how much of next year’s driving will focus on energy management, questioning if that’s really racing.

He also suggested that many drivers agree with his view but can’t speak out due to political reasons.

“I don’t know if that’s racing, it’s going to be the same for everyone next year – it’s all going to be about who can do that best,” he said.

“I’m sure whoever is doing that best is going to love the new regs – that’s what it’s all about.

“I’m not a fan of the direction, I mean, if you have a fast car and we’re competitive and we’re doing better than everyone else, that’s when you’ve got nothing to complain about.

“I don’t love the idea of the regs, though. A lot of the drivers can agree on that. Maybe some of them can’t talk about it for political reasons.

“I think it’s exciting to think about cars that can scream a little bit louder, be a bit lighter and just not depend on, not focus so much on that energy like battery, powertrain that’s not very racey.”

Leclerc calls 2026 regs direction ‘less attractive’ for drivers

Following up on his earlier criticism, Leclerc was asked how challenging it is to switch between driving the 2026 car on the simulator and racing the current car.

“It’s so different that for sure I don’t confuse which car I’m driving,” the Monegasque explained.

“To put back into context my comments I did, it wasn’t really specific to our team, which I’ve seen in headlines saying we’re struggling or whatever.

“I was just meaning that the new direction for us drivers is a little bit less attractive and a little bit less nice to drive.

“It’s the way it is, I still find the motivation and the challenge of making these new regs as fast as possible.

“If we’re competitive I’m sure I’ll start to like it a lot more, but if not, I’ll probably hate it a lot, but I hope it won’t be the case.”

READ MORE – Lance Stroll: Aston Martin 2025 F1 car ‘worst piece of s**t I’ve driven’ in British GP

The post Lance Stroll slams ‘sad’ F1 2026 regulations that drivers won’t criticise for ‘political reasons’ appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Lance Stroll fumed on the team radio post-race after losing out on a possible podium finish for Aston Martin in the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.

Stroll began the 52-lap race from 17th on the grid, but the mixed conditions at Silverstone played out in favour of the Canadian.

The 26-year-old was running as high as third during the Grand Prix after Max Verstappen spun out at Stowe at the end of the second Safety Car period.

But as the weather cleared up and DRS was enabled, Stroll was forced to yield the position to Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, with the former’s Intermediate tyres giving up.

“The Intermediate tyre, just losing 20 seconds of race time compared to the Sauber at one point in the race, just huge degradation,” he told media including Motorsport Week.

Stroll then lost a place to Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari prior to coming into the pits to return to slicks as the track dried.

But the last seven laps saw Stroll concede two more positions and drop down to seventh at the chequered flag, including a last-lap move pulled off by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

“Yeah crazy is an understatement, I mean it’s the worst piece of sh*t I’ve ever driven to be honest,” he barked back in response to his engineer on the cooldown lap.

Why Aston Martin lost out on British GP podium

The chequered flag saw Alonso back his team-mate up in ninth, making it a first double points finish for the Silverstone-based squad in 2025.

On the face of it, the result should have come as a welcome surprise for the team, given its struggles for scoring consistent points this season.

However, Stroll believes that while the team managed to execute a near-perfect race, the AMR25 eventually let him down.

“The Sauber had a lot more grip today, so they had a much faster car,” he conceded.

“I think the result was good. I think we had a lot of degradation and couldn’t really fight with that kind of degradation.

“That final stint [on the Softs] and also the Intermediate tyre, just loads of degradation. I think with the degradation we have, we couldn’t have gotten a better result, honestly.

“I was barely able to stay on the track at the end with the Soft tyre because it was just completely grained.

“So yeah, with that kind of degradation, it’s going to be hard to fight, but it’s a good result, good strategy calls, so that was good.”

READ MORE – Fernando Alonso slams ‘bulls**t’ narrative amid missed opportunity in F1 British GP

The post Lance Stroll: Aston Martin 2025 F1 car ‘worst piece of s**t I’ve driven’ in British GP appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Lance Stroll has given an encouraging update on his wrist injury ahead of the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, expressing confidence that the recent surgery has fully addressed the issue.

In an unexpected setback before the 2023 campaign began, the Canadian racing driver fractured both wrists in a cycling accident.

With just over two weeks until the race in Bahrain, Stroll had suffered a broken big toe, a fractured right wrist, and a hairline fracture in his left wrist.

Just two days later, he underwent surgery in Barcelona but made a full recovery in time to compete in the desert.

Despite lingering pain, Stroll pushed through and impressively finished sixth at the season opener.

However, after qualifying for the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, Aston Martin confirmed Stroll would need further surgery, forcing him to miss the race.

The wrist pain had flared up again, and the statement revealed he had been suffering for the past few months as a result of the initial procedure.

He returned for the Canadian Grand Prix but struggled to a disappointing 17th place at his home race.

But Stroll feels confident he has now put the injury behind him and is ready to get back to his best form.

Answering a question from PlanetF1.com about his recovery plan, Stroll said: “I’ve been working on it — mostly gym exercises and stretching.”

On whether he feels confident the latest surgery has fully resolved the issue, he replied, “Yeah, it should be good to go.”

Aston Martin searching for form as Stroll struggles to unlock performance

It’s been a slow-burning season for Aston Martin so far; Stroll secured points finishes in the opening races in Australia and China but has struggled to score any points since the Miami Sprint.

Meanwhile, his teammate Fernando Alonso has faced his own share of bad luck, failing to score points until his home Grand Prix in Spain.

However, the Imola upgrade package has clearly benefited Alonso, helping him feel more in tune with the AMR25. He backed that up with another top-10 finish in Canada.

The British team is locked in a tight battle with Sauber and Alpine for eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship — not quite where they want to be. Still, Alonso’s recent progress has provided some encouragement.

Stroll, on the other hand, suggested in Canada that the upgrades hadn’t yet made a difference for him, as he continues to struggle with his car’s performance.

But heading into Austria, Stroll has adopted a more measured perspective on his challenges.

“I think it’s always tough jumping straight into the pen after a 57-lap race,” he said with a laugh, “when you’re just grinding it out and things don’t go your way.

“Reflecting on the last few weeks, it’s definitely not where I want to be or the results I want to get. I think the car has become more competitive — Fernando has shown that.

“So yeah, I’m really looking forward to this weekend; it’s a track I love and brings back good memories over the years.

“It’s a great lap here, just going through the mountains and dealing with the elevation changes. It’s always a short lap with a tight grid, which makes it exciting.

“Overall, I’m just looking forward to the weekend.”

READ MORE — Why Lance Stroll is still struggling despite Aston Martin’s 2025 F1 resurgence

The post Lance Stroll provides injury update on wrist ahead of F1 Austrian GP appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Aston Martin has taken encouraging steps forward as of late in Formula 1 – scoring consecutive points finishes in Canada and Barcelona with Fernando Alonso frequently showcasing the car’s improved pace thanks to the Imola upgrade.

After his worst season start since his rookie season in 2001, the Spaniard finally broke into the top 10 at his home Grand Prix.

Struggling with balance and feel in the early rounds, Aston Martin introduced its first major upgrade in Imola – including a new floor, diffuser, and revised sidepods.

While not aimed at raw pace, the changes improved the car’s consistency and gave both drivers a better sense of control behind the wheel.

That was certainly Alonso’s impression after securing seventh place in Canada.

“It seems that I’m able to push the car to the limit now in the last few races since Imola,” Alonso told media including Motorsport Week.

“With the new package, I’m much more linked with the car. I feel the car and I can push to the maximum. I feel in a good moment.”

His team-mate, however, saw things very differently.

After missing the Spanish Grand Prix due to lingering wrist issues, Lance Stroll returned in Canada, still without a points finish since Miami.

But his home race offered no turnaround – instead, he finished a lowly 17th, compounding an already frustrating weekend.

Visibly dejected, his tone stood in stark contrast to Alonso’s cautious optimism.

“I don’t really feel any difference in the car,” said Stroll when asked if he shared Alonso’s assessment of the upgraded package.

“Maybe he’s just been getting good results and he feels good in the car because of that, but I don’t know, I felt pretty slow.”

Stroll’s struggles run deeper than strategy

Aston Martin Team Principal Andy Cowell also weighed in, keen to address the growing performance gap between his two drivers.

He pointed to the disrupted qualifying session in Montreal as a key factor in Stroll’s struggles that weekend.

The Canadian had shown promising pace early on, setting competitive times on his first set of Soft tyres.

But in a strategic switch, Aston Martin opted to send him out on Mediums for the second run, believing it offered more potential in the evolving conditions.

That plan quickly unravelled when Alex Albon’s engine cover tore off, triggering a red flag that halted the session.

Stroll was left with just five minutes to respond once running resumed, but couldn’t hook up a lap quick enough to escape Q1.

From there, his weekend never recovered: “The set-ups are a little bit different now, but not tremendously so,” Cowell said.

“We saw in the beginning of Q1, Lance on that first Soft was right up there, and so I think it is just the choice from us of having a Soft and then a Medium in Q1 before the red flag scuppered the opportunity for him to put a quick time in.

“If the bodywork hadn’t blown off of Albon’s Williams, I think we’d have seen both of them in Q3.”

From Stroll’s viewpoint, while misjudged qualifying strategy clearly played a role — he admitted Canada “100% [was] where the weekend all fell apart” — he also hinted at deeper, longer-term issues that can’t be fixed overnight.

“I know we’re slow and I have a good feeling that it’s going to be [the] case again in Austria because the car has some characteristics that never change and there’s problems, limitations, that I feel never change,” he said.

“So it’s probably just going to be the same again and again and again.”

Aston Martin’s quest for race consistency

While a second upgrade package could help address Stroll’s issues, Cowell suggested the team might instead follow its approach with Alonso — adding more downforce to boost driver confidence and enable more effective setup choices.

“Having more load in all corner types helps,” added Cowell.

“It’s then less of a distraction when it comes to what bits to put on the car for FP1, what bits to do experiments with through FP1 and FP2.

“And then you are into refinement on the final order things, which is how a race weekend should be.

“That then means that there’s greater analysis done on those fine order bits, and the drivers can dial it in better.”

With the AMR25 showing strong qualifying pace but struggling to convert that into race results, Aston Martin is carefully reassessing its approach.

Finding the right balance between Saturday speed and Sunday consistency is crucial, especially when tyre management plays such a pivotal role.

Cowell added: “That is something that we were all looking at after the previous few races, where we can see that we’re qualifying better, but we’re not picking points up.

“At the end of the day, what we’re after is chasing championship points.

“So we have to look at the way we set the car up for the race, and we have to think about tyre allocation for [both] qualifying and for the race.”

READ MORE – Aston Martin reacts to rumour linking Fernando Alonso with Alpine F1 return

The post Why Lance Stroll is still struggling despite Aston Martin’s 2025 F1 resurgence appeared first on Motorsport Week.