Lance Stroll’s contract extension with Aston Martin in Formula 1 for multiple years is not surprising news in the 2025 driver market. However, it does have consequences, especially since he will be racing alongside Fernando Alonso when Aston Martin partners with Honda in 2026. This partnership will also benefit from the first Aston F1 car developed in the team’s new windtunnel.
The extension shows that Aston Martin is not concerned about Stroll’s inconsistent performance. While he has scored 17 points compared to Alonso’s 41 points so far in 2025, it can be argued that Stroll’s performance last year cost Aston fourth place in the constructors’ championship. This year, Stroll has been behind Alonso in qualifying by around two tenths and has made three Q3 appearances compared to Alonso’s six. Although he is not performing at the same level as Alonso, Aston Martin is willing to have one driver who contributes significantly fewer points than his teammate, similar to Red Bull’s strategy with Sergio Perez.
Unlike Red Bull and Aston Martin, Ferrari and McLaren have strong driver line-ups heading into 2025 with Charles Leclerc/Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris/Oscar Piastri respectively. It remains to be seen how much this will impact Red Bull and Aston Martin’s performance.
The partnership between Alonso and Stroll has been extremely harmonious, with Alonso praising Stroll’s dedication and commitment to the team. Alonso even hopes that Stroll will lead the team once he leaves. This positive relationship eliminates any potential team-dividing fight for supremacy between the drivers.
There were speculations that Stroll could continue racing for Aston Martin in the World Endurance Championship in 2025 if he was replaced in the F1 team or wanted a smaller racing schedule. However, with his long-term contract extension, this possibility is no longer on the table. Stroll’s commitment to Aston Martin’s F1 team, which has invested heavily to compete at the front, is appealing to him.
Yuki Tsunoda’s chances of joining the factory Honda team that Aston Martin will become in 2026 were already slim, and Stroll’s extension further diminishes his hopes. Tsunoda’s ties to Honda were overblown, and nationality was not a determining factor in the driver line-up decision. Tsunoda’s best chance of being on the grid in 2026 is likely to remain within the Red Bull family.
With Stroll’s extension, Alonso will remain unchallenged as Aston Martin’s spearhead driver for the next two seasons. This eliminates the intra-team fight for supremacy that drivers like Norris, Leclerc, and Russell will face in 2025. If Aston Martin performs well in 2026, Alonso will likely benefit the most from this scenario.
Stroll’s extension also means that there will be no surprises for drivers without contracts for next year. For example, if Aston Martin had focused on Carlos Sainz, they could have offered a better case than Audi, Williams, and Alpine. Now, Sainz’s options are confirmed to be between those teams, and other free agents like Valtteri Bottas will have to choose from what’s left after Sainz’s decision.