Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crossed the line in P15 at his home Grand Prix, the 2026 F1 Canadian GP.
While he had qualified P21 on Saturday, placing his AMR26 between the Cadillacs, Stroll changed his set-up and was forced to start from the pit lane on Sunday.
Stroll did not finish last as he had predicted, but just managed to climb to P15. Throughout the chaotic Canadian GP, six cars did not classify the race. Racing Bulls’ Lindblad was not able to start, and Pérez, Norris, Russell, Alonso and Albon did not finish it.
Just the top four drivers completed the full 68 laps. From P5 onwards, drivers were lapped by Kimi Antonelli. The Canadian driver completed 64 laps, finishing 4 laps behind the front.
Lack of temperature at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve circuit
After the race, Lance Stroll was questioned in the print media pen about the tyre temperature throughout the race. Many drivers complained that it felt like driving on ice and that it was almost impossible to get the front tyres warm.
Stroll confirmed: “Yeah, very slippery for sure. So yeah, that was the race.”
On whether he had ever experienced worse grip since the beginning of his career, the Aston Martin driver said: “Yeah, I mean for sure some races, I’ve experienced very slippery races in the past. Something completely different.”
Stroll: “We’ve been very slow all weekend”
The Canadian driver had said on Saturday that he thought he would finish last in the main race. Instead, he finished P16 in the Sprint Race and P15 in the Sunday Race.
When asked whether he was relieved or if it didn’t change things, Stroll said: “No, it’s the same.
“We need to find a lot of performances. We’ve been very slow all weekend, so we’re still trying to find solutions for the next races.”
On the other side of the garage, Fernando Alonso did not finish either race during the F1 2026 Canadian GP weekend.
Stroll added: “I think we have a lot of information now about what needs to be improved. We just need to do that for now.”
“That’s how it goes”: Stroll reinforces concerns for the 2026 regulations
Stroll had been one of the most outspoken drivers on his disappointment at the F1 2026 regulations. After the Canadian GP, he was asked about the possibility of next year going 60-40 in terms of battery and combustion and how he felt since some manufacturers might still oppose it.
On whether these “politics” are annoying from the driver’s perspective, Stroll concluded: “Sure, I mean if it was me it would just be 100% combustion and no battery.
“But the drivers drive the cars and the manufacturers make the rules. Or the FIA manufacturers decide the rules, so that’s how it goes.”
Final thoughts and looking ahead to Monaco
Overall, when asked about his thoughts on the race, Stroll briefly summed up: “It’s simple now. We just have to go and learn.
“I had some serious issues, but I was able to finish the race.”
Next race ahead is the 2026 F1 Monaco GP. Currently, it is expected that the classic circuit will host the most “natural” weekend, in terms of similarities to last year’s regulation. Because of the layout of the Circuit de Monaco, the battery will not have as strong a role as it has this year.
On how the cars will be like in Monaco, Stroll said: “I think some cars will be more enjoyable than others.”
As it stands, neither Lance Stroll or Fernando Alonso have any points in the 2026 season. They both sit at the bottom of the Drivers’ Championship table, while Aston Martin is last in the Constructors’.
