Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has reaffirmed his commitment to keeping Lance Stroll. Despite questions emerging about Stroll’s future, Krack has made sure to brush away suggestions that the Canadian will be replaced. He even went one step forward, outlining that the 25-year-old is central to the team’s project.
At the end of last year, Aston Martin narrowly missed out on 4th in the constructors. Considering the 130-point gap between Alonso and Stroll, there were criticisms of the British outfit’s driver line-up. After all, a better position in the standings was easily within reach. However, this sense of missed opportunity was not present in Aston’s official statements.
The team’s stance on Lance Stroll was reflected most clearly in Singapore when Mike Krack described Stroll’s crash in qualifying as proof of his “commitment” to F1. Evidently, the team principal was reluctant to make any substantive criticisms of his driver.
However, there are new variables to consider at Aston Martin. The most notable is Honda, whose presence on the grid in 2026 might alter the team’s calculations. After all, the Japanese manufacturer will not have the same attachment to Lance Stroll as his father – Lawerence – who owns the team.
Still, it seems that another contract extension is incoming for Stroll. The 25-year-old gave rather vague comments about his future to the media earlier today in China.
Aston Martin reaffirms commitment to Lance Stroll
The same cannot be said about Aston’s team principal, who was crystal clear in his comments:
“Last week, it was mainly about Fernando. But we also know that Aston Martin is Lance’s home,” he told Autosport.
“We know that, and the whole project has always been around him. So, we look for continuity.
“I have always said that is very important, so we will see in the next weeks.”
This year’s AMR24 is reasonably competitive, generally proving itself the fourth or fifth-fastest car in 2024. Depending on how rapidly Aston Martin can improve with upgrades, the British squad has a chance to climb the field and reclaim its relative performance from the start of last season.
What is more tricky to foresee, however, is a scenario where Lance Stroll can hold his own against the best in Formula 1. Until this changes, Mike Krack’s team will continue to leave points on the table relative to their rivals.
