Lance Stroll says "I think we can complete like half the race" at Suzuka on Sunday

Stroll was speaking during the drivers' Press Conference at Suzuka on Thursday, where he was peppered by questions regarding his father's team, led by Adrian Newey, which has flopped massively in the wake oif huge expectations.

The Canadian made it clear that morale remains grounded in reality rather than optimism: “Everyone’s just working as hard as they can to improve the situation for sure. None of us are happy with where we are. It’s not the start to the season that we hoped for, but it is what it is and we’re just working as hard as possible to improve it.”

That blunt tone reflects a team aware of its limitations after two challenging race weekends, with performance deficits and reliability concerns already shaping the early narrative of their campaign.

Stroll pointed to a combination of power unit limitations and chassis weaknesses as key areas holding the team back: “We know we have issues on the engine side. There are areas we need to work on with the car. I think high-speed corners are still a weakness for us. So yeah, we’re just trying to improve in all areas that need work and it’s just about bringing performance as quick as we can.”

That admission underlines a broader issue. Aston Martin are not dealing with a single flaw, but a spread of performance gaps that require parallel development across multiple areas.

Stroll tempered expectations for the weekend, framing success in basic operational terms rather than outright results: “We’re just trying to improve the issues we had in China. In China, we had big vibration problems and reliability issues, so just tackling some of those problems. I think getting both cars to the chequered flag would already be a good step forward for us.”

The most immediate concern remains the vibration problem that has already compromised running and reliability.

Even if that issue is addressed, Stroll made clear the underlying performance deficit will remain significant: “We need to improve the vibration, we need to improve the reliability, but even when we’re finishing laps we’re three seconds off, three and a half seconds off the lead cars, so there are a lot of things to improve.”

He added: “Even when we fix the vibration and improve the reliability, we need to find performance, like I said earlier, in the engine, more power and more downforce. So a lot of areas to work on.”

That gap to the front places Aston Martin firmly on the back foot, with no quick fix available in the short term. Physically, the toll on drivers is also evident, although Stroll downplayed any personal concerns: “Not much to do physically, no. Hand’s all good.”

Still, the driving experience itself remains far from ideal. He admitted: “It’s very uncomfortable. But at the end of the day, we just want to be much more competitive as a team. That’s the most painful thing for everyone.”

Amid speculation surrounding leadership roles within the team, Stroll offered little interest in the political side of Aston Martin’s situation.

He stated: “I don’t know all the details about that, but I know Adrian’s team principal right now. I know that we have to improve the engine, we have to improve the car, and I think that’s what everyone’s focused on.”

Instead, the priority is clear. Performance first, questions later. Even completing race distances remains a challenge at present, with Stroll revealing the extent of the reliability concerns: “I think we can complete like half the race, but then also we just have reliability issues.”

That reality sets the tone heading into Suzuka. For Aston Martin, this is not about chasing points or podiums. It is about stabilising a package that currently lacks both pace and consistency.

With development expected to accelerate across the grid, the team face a critical period if they are to avoid falling further behind in the early stages of the season.
(Reporting by Agnes Carlier from Suzuka)