Stroll insists Aston Martin can do something 'very special' despite tough 2026 so far

Lance Stroll has voiced his confidence that Aston Martin can achieve “something very special” in the future despite a difficult start to the 2026 season, with the Canadian keen to “ride this tough spell out”.

The campaign had proven challenging for the squad before racing had even started, having only arrived at the Barcelona Shakedown for the final two days of running before struggling with reliability during pre-season testing in Bahrain, leaving them with the lowest lap count of all 11 teams.

Those issues continued when the championship got underway in Australia, with the AMR26 affected by vibrations from the Honda power unit as well as generally lacking pace in comparison to the team’s rivals.

While there have been signs of progress since – with both cars seeing the chequered flag in Miami – Aston Martin still have a journey ahead of them. For Stroll, it is one that he is feeling optimistic about, despite the recent difficulties.

“We've got some incredibly talented people at the AMR Technology Campus and there's huge potential with the tools like the new CoreWeave AIR Tunnel and the simulator,” Stroll explained in an interview on the squad’s website.

"We have all the elements to become a winning team, it's just about unlocking that potential. I firmly believe in this project, even though right now we're experiencing some difficult times. The future is very bright and I want to ride this tough spell out and be part of the journey we're on."

Asked if tough periods for the team strengthen his belief in the project or test it, Stroll responded: “I think they do both. Difficult moments always test you, but they also show you who really believes in what you're building.

"It's easy to believe when results are coming and everything feels good. The real challenge is staying committed when things are harder and you have to work through problems together. That's part of building a top Formula 1 team. I genuinely believe the foundations we're putting in place now can lead to something very special in the future."

Stroll went on to share an insight into how he mentally deals with the challenging times, with the 27-year-old stressing the importance of remaining focused.

“You have to stay grounded and keep perspective,” he explained. “In Formula 1, things move very quickly. A few months can completely change the picture, so if you get too emotional with either the highs or the lows, it's difficult to stay focused on what actually matters.

"As drivers, we all want to be fighting at the front. When you're going through tougher periods, of course it's frustrating because everyone in the team is working incredibly hard and wants more. But those moments are also part of building something.

"You've got to keep working, stay honest about where you need to improve and trust the process, even when the results aren't immediately there."