Stroll admits Aston Martin 'four seconds off' pace in brutal F1 testing assessment

Lance Stroll delivered a stark assessment of Aston Martin's 2026 pre-season, claiming the team is a daunting four seconds off the pace after a troubled start to testing in Bahrain. The admission follows significant delays and a Honda power unit issue that severely limited the team's running, casting immediate doubt on its ambitious goals for the new regulatory era.

Why it matters:

This brutally honest appraisal from within the team highlights the potential scale of the challenge facing Aston Martin, despite its massive financial investment and the high-profile arrival of Adrian Newey. With sweeping new technical regulations for 2026, a poor start can define an entire season, making these early setbacks critical for a squad aiming to transition from midfield contender to consistent race winner.

The details:

• Stroll's lap tally was among the lowest on the first day of the Bahrain test, completing only 36 laps due to a detected "data anomaly" with the new Honda power unit.
• His best time was over five seconds slower than pacesetter Lando Norris, though testing fuel loads and run plans always obscure the true picture.
• The team's preparation was hampered from the outset, arriving four days late to the first collective shakedown in Barcelona.
• Stroll pinpointed the problems as "a combination of things" including the "engine, balance, grip."
• When asked for a positive takeaway, his response was succinct: "The livery looks nice."

The big picture:

The situation presents a significant early test for the team's new structure under technical director Adrian Newey. Reports indicate the AMR26's wind tunnel programme started four months late, compounding the challenge of a fresh engine partnership with Honda and a major regulatory overhaul. Owner Lawrence Stroll's heavy investment has created world-class facilities, but Stroll's comments underscore that infrastructure alone does not guarantee immediate performance.

What's next:

Aston Martin faces a race against time to understand and rectify its issues before the season opener. Stroll expressed cautious, uncertain optimism, noting the team is pushing "every single second of every single day" to bring performance. The true benchmark will come at the first race, revealing whether this testing form is a temporary glitch or a sign of a fundamentally flawed package. The pressure is on to ensure the 'Newey era' begins with competitive momentum, not a prolonged recovery.