Lance Stroll qualifies 13th for Grand Prix
It was a disappointing finish after promising signs from Stroll during two of the free practice sessions and the Canadian sitting as high as sixth earlier in the contest
Jewish Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll finished 13th fastest, just behind behind his Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso in 12th, in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon.
It was a disappointing finish after promising signs from Stroll during two of the free practice sessions and the Canadian sitting as high as sixth earlier in the contest. He and Alonso were both eliminated in Q2 and did not participate in the third and final stage of the qualifier.
“It’s not where we want to be,” Stroll told reporters. “I mean this time last year, both cars were in Q3 and I think we finished this Grand Prix sixth and seventh, so definitely not where we want to be.
“But compared to the rest of the weekend, I think it was probably our most competitive session.”
With rain forecast for Sunday’s race, Stroll was asked how he felt about his chances of a higher finish given he does well in those conditions.
“I think even that is by car dependent. When you do well in the wet, the car gives you confidence,” he said.
Team mate Alonso expressed disappointment with his car in his interview. He also shared that following better results during Friday’s two practices, the team reverted to the way the cars were set up then, after a Saturday morning practice change.
Aston Martin have their sights set on 2026 when a significant overhaul of Formula 1 regulations and a new engine partner in Honda is hoped to reverse the team’s fortunes.
Stroll on Thursday described the regulation change as a “huge opportunity”.
“It’s not just gonna fall into our laps … we recognise that,” he said. “We’ve just got to keep our heads down and keep pushing on a little bit.”
He also described the coming Honda partnership as a “big opportunity … to really do everything from scratch”.
It is unclear, given the changes next year, how much Aston Marton will be prepared to tinker with their car in season 2025 in an attempt to be more competitive or whether its sights are already on 2026.
In the three practices prior to qualifying, Stroll was tenth, ninth, and fourteenth respectively.
Practice one on Friday morning saw the Canadian just 0.3 of a second behind Alonso, who was eighth. Stroll beat Alonso in the second and third practice sessions.
Saturday’s qualifier saw a McLaren one-two lockout with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri securing the top two spots. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen rounded out the top three.
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