Aston Martin continues to face many difficulties in the 2026 Formula 1 season, and Lance Stroll acknowledged that, in addition to the problems with the Honda power unit, the chassis itself has also contributed to the performance being well below expectations.
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The British team had been attributing much of the difficulties to the lack of reliability and performance of the engine; however, Stroll admitted that the car designed by Adrian Newey still does not present the necessary level of competitiveness, especially in different areas of the circuit.
So far, the results in the season reflect this complicated scenario. After three races, Stroll has yet to see the checkered flag under normal conditions. The Canadian retired in China and Japan, while in Australia he even returned to the track after a stop, but finished without an official classification, crossing the finish line fifteen laps behind the winner, George Russell of Mercedes.
Commenting on the situation, the Canadian driver acknowledged that the problems are multiple: “I think it’s a combination between the power unit and the car,” Stroll stated when commenting on the team’s current performance. He also highlighted that Aston Martin has been losing a lot of time on the straights, which further compromises competitiveness.
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Furthermore, Stroll highlighted that cornering performance is also not ideal: “We are definitely losing a lot of time on the straights, but we are also not exactly a beast in the corners, so it’s a combination of factors,” he stated, indicating that the car is still far from the desired balance.
Stroll also pointed out that the lack of time between races has made the car’s evolution difficult. According to him, the sequence between the rounds in China and Japan reduced development opportunities, preventing more significant changes in performance.
Despite the difficulties, the Canadian showed confidence in future improvements: “Progress in Formula 1 is never fast enough, so right now there has been no progress because we were in China and then went straight to Japan,” he explained. He continued by highlighting that the team has a plan for the coming months, but acknowledged the uncertainty: “We have a plan for the coming months, and what that will bring in lap time, time will tell,” he concluded.
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