Lance Stroll delivers a blunt verdict on recent Aston Martin form

Lance Stroll gave a candid response to Aston Martin’s difficult start to the 2025 Formula 1 season following a frustrating Bahrain Grand Prix. The Canadian finished 17th in the fourth race of the season, admitting there was not much to say about the weekend.

This weekend, Aston Martin looked off the pace from the outset. The AMR25, which many hoped would build on last year’s occasional podium promise, appeared short on both race pace and qualifying sharpness in Sakhir. While teammate Fernando Alonso started 13th, Stroll’s early exit in Q1 and a quiet race capped off another weekend with no points.

The #18 Aston Martin driver's disappointment stemmed from a challenging 2025 Formula 1 season marked by inconsistent performances. Lance Stroll’s post-race comments reflect the gravity of the situation, as he acknowledged the team’s lack of performance.

"There is not much to say about today, it has been a really tough weekend for us. We are not where we want to be at the moment and we are pushing hard to change that," Stroll said (via Aston Martin Debrief)

Stroll’s Bahrain race was a subdued affair. He qualified 19th after a low-key Saturday session, more than two seconds off the pole time. Starting on the soft compound, in contrast to Alonso’s mediums, he made little progress before an early stop for hard tires on Lap 12. Another stop under the Lap 33 safety car didn’t change much.

When racing resumed, Stroll was stuck in P19 and eventually took the flag in 18th. He was later promoted to 17th after Nico Hülkenberg’s disqualification for a fuel infringement.

Alonso finished the Bahrain GP in 15th, ahead of Stroll, as both drivers were promoted by Hülkenberg’s disqualification. Yet, the result showcased Aston Martin’s sharp drop from the front-running form they occasionally showed in 2024.

Lance Stroll pragmatic about Aston Martin's chances in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso (14) leads Lance Stroll (18) during the Bahrain Grand Prix. Source: Getty

In Bahrain GP, Lance Stroll managed just a 1:32.283 in Q1—the second slowest of all classified cars. Even with the safety car, tire strategy, and disqualification ahead, his limitations remained clear.

Looking ahead, Stroll remained pragmatic about Aston Martin’s chances in Jeddah, a circuit where he has yet to score points in four previous attempts:

"Let’s see what learnings we can take from this race and how we do next week. The track characteristics in Jeddah are quite different, so let’s see how we do there, although we are not expecting any big jumps." (via Aston Martin Debrief)

Lance Stroll has never finished in the top 10 in Jeddah, with two DNFs in his last two races. With little momentum to build on, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix could prove to be a litmus test for Stroll and Aston Martin's ambitions this season.