Lawrence Stroll, owner of Aston Martin, has charged his son Lance Stroll with the goal of helping the team secure a double podium finish for the team at their home race this weekend.
While teammate Fernando Alonso has already achieved five podium finishes in seven races this season, Lance Stroll has struggled to match the performance of the two-time World Champion in 2023.
However, Stroll Sr. remains optimistic about the upcoming race and believes his son has the potential to secure his first podium of the campaign.
Speaking to Reuters, Lawrence Stroll expressed his confidence in Aston Martin’s performance at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, stating: “I’m extremely confident. I believe the car will be very strong around the Montreal circuit, it suits our car well… so I’m really looking forward to going home and really looking forward to a great race.”
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
Despite the team’s less competitive outing in Spain, Stroll remains determined to aim high for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Lance Stroll showed progress in Spain by finishing sixth ahead of Alonso, marking the first time this season that he outperformed his teammate over a race distance.
Stroll Sr. noted that the team plans to address any issues with the AMR23 and potentially introduce upgrades for the Canadian race.
“I believe we are bringing solutions to those and some upgrades into Canada,” Stroll said.
“I think he demonstrated in Barcelona he’s now starting, it took six or seven races, to feel better… I believe they will be equal by the end of the season.
“I think most people would never have believed Fernando would be around today.
“Probably a little long to see him around in ’26 but never say never.”
He believes his son is starting to match Alonso’s performance and expects them to be on a level playing field by the end of the season.
Regarding Alonso’s future with Aston Martin, there have been discussions about the possibility of extending his contract beyond the current multi-year deal.
READ: Helmut Marko says Sebastian Vettel isn’t on the same level as Max Verstappen
With Honda joining as a factory power unit partner in 2026, questions arise about whether Alonso will continue with the team during that transition.
While Stroll did not provide specific details about Alonso’s future, he acknowledged the unexpected longevity of the driver’s career and did not rule out the idea of him staying for several more years.
As the Canadian Grand Prix approaches, all eyes will be on Aston Martin to see if they can deliver a strong performance on their home turf.