Aston Martin F1 team owner Lawrence Stroll has responded to the team’s difficult start with its Aston Martin–Honda partnership.
Stroll described the technical and performance issues as a “very unexpected” surprise and stressed his desire for solutions to be found as quickly as possible.
Lawrence Stroll on Aston Martin Honda woes: “Very unexpected.”
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“Yes, it is,” Lawrence Stroll admitted. “Very unexpected. But we’ll put our heads down and work our way through it.”
Earlier in the weekend, Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey had acknowledged that until a November visit to Honda, the team had not fully realized the lack of Formula 1 experience in Honda’s new engineering squad compared to its highly successful Red Bull era.
Newey also described the Aston Martin AMR26 chassis as the “fifth-best” on the grid, with significant development potential—a view supported by Fernando Alonso—adding pressure on Honda to deliver.
Commentator Martin Brundle suggested that Aston Martin and Honda might need around six months to resolve the issues, prompting Stroll to clarify his timeline: “I hope as soon as possible, is the answer.”
Additional reporting by Mat Coch.
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