Schumacher: If Lawrence Stroll is serious, he has to fire Lance
F1 NewsThursday, 14 August 2025 at 08:00
Despite allegedly being barred by Aston Martin, Ralf Schumacher has doubled down on his criticism of the team's driver line-up, insisting that if owner Lawrence Stroll truly wants to win the Formula 1 World Championship, he must "fire" Lance.
“If Lawrence seriously wants to become a Formula 1 world champion, he has to fire his son. Lance’s 27-0 defeat in qualifying against his teammate Fernando Alonso says it all,” former F1 driver turned Sky Germany pundit, Schumacher told Sport Bild.
Stroll has long pursued the dream of turning Aston Martin into a Formula 1 title-winning force, but results have so far fallen short. Lance Stroll’s performances have come under renewed scrutiny this season, not least after he referred to his AMR car over team radio as the “biggest piece of shit.”
Schumacher believes the Aston Martin owner now faces a defining choice; he added: “The father has to decide: emotion or success.
"If he’s serious, he’ll have to completely rethink the driver pairing for 2026. I think he knows that, but the decision is difficult for him.”
Criticise Lance at your own risk!
On track, Aston Martin impressed at the Hungarian Grand Prix with fifth and seventh places. Off track, however, the team hit the headlines for an apparent media boycott — likely linked to Schumacher’s outspoken criticism.
In Budapest, Aston Martin refused interview requests from German broadcaster Sky.
“I know they’re not giving us any more interviews at the moment because they don’t like us that much there,” Schumacher said on air.
Sky presenter Peter Hardenacke added: “We were a bit too critical of the people at Aston Martin.”
The boycott appears to be a direct response to Schumacher’s post-Silverstone comments, when he criticised Stroll’s radio outburst — “the worst piece of shit” he had ever driven — and demanded that he apologise to his team.
According to Bild, the team subsequently declined a Sky request to speak to Aston Martin Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack in Hungary.
Will Lawrence Stroll ever ditch Lance from Aston Martin?
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