Credits: Imago
Lance Stroll’s future in F1 has become a big topic of discussion, four rounds into the 2024 season. The Canadian refused to confirm his presence at Aston Martin for 2025 despite his father Lawrence Stroll owing the team. Amid this, his teammate Fernando Alonso highlighted the contributions made by him in helping Aston Martin progress.
During the Chinese GP weekend, when asked to confirm his future with the Silverstone-based outfit, Stroll said, “We’ll see what the future holds,” as per Sports Illustrated. Alonso, however, seems to want Stroll alongside him when he suits up for races in 2025.
Referring to how “sensitive” Stroll is behind the wheel of the car and can guide the development better, Alonso said, “To reach 100% of the potential of the car, sometimes I’m not able to do [that] without the help from my team-mate.”
Alonso is often regarded as the driving force behind Aston Martin’s recent success. However, the 42-year-old feels that when compared to his teammate, he hasn’t been much of a help to the engineers. He tends to drive around the problems of the car, which is where Stroll’s valuable input comes in.
Alonso’s revelation suggests that Stroll has been integral to Aston Martin since the iconic British outfit returned to F1 in 2021. In 2023, they made huge strides, with Alonso standing on the podium eight times. The Spanish driver’s comments prove that Stroll was instrumental in making that happen.
On the other hand, if Alonso is right about Stroll’s hard work, it is safe to say that he is reaping most of the rewards. Compared to Alonso’s podium tally in 2023, Stroll failed to finish in the top three even once.
Lance Stroll’s future with Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso
In 2023, Alonso was a near-regular contender for the podium places. 2024, however, has not been as kind to the Oviedo-born driver or his team.
Regardless, Alonso signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin that will keep him at Silverstone until 2026 at the very least. This is huge, as he looks to get back to winning ways with Honda joining hands soon.
Stroll’s presence on the team, however, is not guaranteed. Lawrence Stroll, who owns the team, wants them to succeed and become world champions, as does Honda. For that, they need two drivers who can maximize their results week in and week out. Till now, Stroll hasn’t proved to be that driver.
The status quo of the team can be jeopardized by Stroll’s exit. If the Canadian does quit eventually, they have a few options they can bank on. Prime amongst them would be Carlos Sainz, who has reportedly signed a contract with Mercedes for at least 2025. If the latter is true, the could turn to V-CARB’s Yuki Tsunoda, who will be a valuable asset to Honda.
