De la Rosa: Stroll can be 'as quick' as Alonso when car is right

Pedro de la Rosa has a message for Lance Stroll's critics: the Canadian is "super fast" and can match Fernando Alonso when the car cooperates. Aston Martin's F1 ambassador made the case on the Beyond The Grid podcast, pushing back against the narrative created by a one-sided qualifying record.

Why it matters:

The Stroll-Alonso comparison has been a recurring theme since 2023, with the 45-year-old two-time champion dominating. But if de la Rosa is right, Aston Martin could have a stronger driver pairing than the numbers suggest — a key asset as the team pushes toward the front.

The Details:

• Since 2023, Alonso has outqualified Stroll 89-15 and outscored him 335-131.
• In 2026, Alonso holds an average qualifying edge of three tenths, according to data cited in the report.
• De la Rosa, a former F1 driver, believes Stroll's raw pace is often overlooked: "Lance is extremely quick in all types of corners. It's just that sometimes he's had some mistakes in qualifying... if you don't qualify up there, it just compromises the whole weekend."
• He pointed out that Stroll has occasionally outqualified Alonso, which he framed as no small feat: "We're talking about Fernando Alonso, you know."
• De la Rosa also praised Stroll's race craft: "His race pace is impressive as well. He's very good managing tyres."
• The key caveat? The car. "Whenever the car is driving properly, he's as quick as Fernando. There's no question about that," de la Rosa insisted, adding that current driveability issues — both chassis and engine-related — make the Aston Martin difficult to extract lap time from.

What's next:

Aston Martin is working to make its car more driver-friendly, and if that progress arrives, Stroll may finally silence the doubters. De la Rosa's vote of confidence could also signal how the team views its driver pairing heading into the final stretch of 2026.