Lance Stroll delivers scathing assessment of Aston Martin's new Adrian Newey-designed car

Lance Stroll has issued a brutally honest and overwhelmingly negative review of Aston Martin's new AMR26, the first car designed by legendary engineer Adrian Newey for the team. The Canadian driver stated the car is currently around four to four and a half seconds off the pace and cited a combination of engine, balance, and grip issues, with the Honda power unit being a primary concern. His sole positive comment was that "the livery looks nice."

Why it matters:

This public critique from a team's own driver is a stark and rare admission of failure, especially for a project led by the sport's most celebrated designer, Adrian Newey. It highlights the immense pressure and high expectations on Aston Martin, which has invested heavily in top talent like Newey and a works partnership with Honda to become a championship contender, only to face a disastrous start to its new era.

The details:

• Stroll revealed the car's massive performance deficit, estimating it to be "four seconds off — probably four and a half seconds" from the front of the grid.
• When asked to pinpoint the main issue, he described it as "a combination of things — engine, balance, grip," but emphasized the Honda engine was a problem "to a large extent."
• The team missed the first pre-season test in Barcelona because the car wasn't ready, forcing it to play catch-up in Bahrain, where problems persisted.
• In a telling moment, Stroll's only positive takeaway was about the car's aesthetics, not its performance.

What's next:

Despite the bleak current picture, Stroll expressed a foundational belief that the team has the right ingredients for long-term success.

• He stated, "We have all the tools to fight for race wins and championships," pointing to the presence of Adrian Newey and the Honda partnership as reasons for optimism.
• The immediate focus is on relentless improvement: "We're trying to improve it every run, every day, and we'll see how much more we can extract from the car."
• The coming weeks will be a critical test of Aston Martin's ability to diagnose and solve its complex problems quickly to salvage its ambitious 2026 campaign.