Lance Stroll admitted that the lack of competitiveness of Aston Martin in the 2026 Formula 1 season did not shake his confidence. The Canadian said he has faced several seasons with cars unable to fight for victories and that he learned to deal with this scenario throughout his career.
The team arrives at the Hungarian GP with its first major update package of the season, aiming to close the gap to its rivals. The changes precede the debut of the new power unit, scheduled to take place after the August break.
Even in the face of the difficulties faced by AMR26, Stroll said his stance remains the same, regardless of the equipment available. According to him, the focus is to extract the maximum from the car, whether it is capable of winning races or competing far from the front runners.
“I’ve had some very bad cars over the years. You simply go to the track with what you have. If you have a package good enough to win the race, amazing. If you have a package that is six seconds behind the fastest car, then that’s that,” he said.
The Canadian driver explained that he strives to stay focused and keep working, not allowing results to affect his approach: “I just keep my head down and keep doing my job,” he said.
Despite the rough period in the current season, Stroll continues to believe in Aston Martin’s long-term potential. The Canadian stressed that the team is still far from the level it wants to reach, but he insisted that this does not alter his confidence in the project.
“As I have said many times in these interviews, I believe we have a very bright future as a team and we are not where we want to be at this moment. That does not change what I think about this team and all we can achieve,” he added.
Finally, Stroll acknowledged that the first half of the championship was frustrating for everyone at the Silverstone-based squad: “It wasn’t fun for anyone, that’s for sure. We know no one was happy with the first part of the season, so we hope things improve in the upcoming races,” the Canadian concluded.
