Aston Martin had a mixed performance during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. While Fernando Alonso managed to score valuable points, Lance Stroll faced numerous setbacks that hindered his race.
Stroll had a tough Saturday at the Marina Bay Circuit, with his qualifying ending in disappointment as he failed to make it out of Q1 and started the race in 17th place on the grid.
His problems worsened before the race when he noticed “strange vibrations” during his initial laps to the grid. Aston Martin’s mechanics quickly replaced his brakes as a precaution in the intense heat. Starting on hard tyres, he managed to finish 14th, partly helped by Pierre Gasly running long to try and help Esteban Ocon. It left the aforementioned French driver behind the Saubers at the end.
The Canadian praised the team’s efforts in resolving his brake issues, expressing gratitude to the mechanics for quickly addressing the problem despite the Singapore heat.
“[It was a] very difficult weekend all around, for sure. [I was] struggling with grip, balance, tricky weekend. It’s been a struggle all weekend. No grip, a lot of understeer. Oversteer on the exits, poor traction, overheating the tyres.”
While Stroll was stuck towards the back of the grid, Alonso managed to secure an eighth-place finish, earning four points for the team.
The Spaniard spent most of the race sandwiched between the Hulkenberg’s Haas and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. He fended off the Ferrari driver in the initial stint and in the end managed to overcut Hulkenberg. The Canadian finished 44s and six places behind his teammate on the day.
The Formula 1 circus heads to the Americans leg after a four-week hiatus next month. When asked about the improvements needed before the race in Austin, the Aston Martin driver said: “It’s a very different track in Austin, different conditions. So, yeah, we’ll see how we go there.”
Stroll expressed optimism about potential upgrades for the United States Grand Prix.
“Yeah, we have some bits coming. So, yeah, looking forward to Austin,” he said, hopeful that the COTA track suits their AMR24 better.
Stroll hasn’t scored a point since the Hungarian Grand Prix, and he currently sits in 11th place in the drivers’ standings. He is tied with Nico Hulkenberg from Haas and trails his Aston Martin teammate Alonso by 38 points, highlighting the contrasting fortunes within the team this season.
The Silverstone-based team has high hopes for the coming future, especially with the addition of the design guru, Adrian Newey to their technical team. Last year in Austin, Stroll finished seventh, while Alonso retired. The team is aiming for a much stronger performance this time, as they continue their lone stance in 5th place in the standings.
