Lance Stroll did not hide his irritation during the 2026 Italian GP of Formula 1. A radio audio from Aston Martin, which was not broadcast during the race, revealed the moment when the Canadian lost patience with his engineer, Gary Gannon, amid the team’s difficulties in Monza.
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The complaint happened after Stroll reported battery problems. On the restart, the driver was already having trouble gaining speed and ended up being left behind by Sergio Perez’s Cadillac on the acceleration after the Parabolica. Shortly after, Stroll managed to pass Alex Albon’s Williams on the main straight. However, while trying to stay in the fight, he informed over the radio: “Battery…”
Gannon responded by asking for a change in the car setup: “Mode nine, mode nine.”
Albon found pace again and overtook Stroll once more approaching the first chicane. The engineer then repeated the instruction: “Mode nine when you can to recover the package.”
That’s when Stroll reacted more sharply. “You always tell me that so late! Like, **** wake up!”
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Aston Martin’s problems were not limited to performance. On lap 27, Gannon warned there was a hydraulic failure and asked Stroll to stop the car immediately: “Stop the car, Lance, stop the car. We have a hydraulic problem. Do not change gear and the pedal will go long. The pedal will go long and the steering will get heavy, so stop the car in a safe place.”
Stroll retired after 26 laps, with a suspected hydraulic problem. The result completed a difficult Sunday for Aston Martin, which also had Fernando Alonso out of the race due to damage.
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