How and when Aston Martin will replace BOTH drivers

The ambitious Aston Martin F1 team are hoping to challenge for world championships in the near future, with Lawrence Stroll throwing millions of pounds at the outfit to give them all the tools they need to compete nearer to the front from 2026 onwards.

A gleaming new multi-million pound facility, the signing of the sport's most decorated design guru Adrian Newey, and a partnership with Honda who have just powered Red Bull to two constructors' and four drivers' championships in the past four seasons.

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However, they desperately need to refresh their driver lineup. Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll - for differing reasons - are struggling to get the best out of the current AMR25, and are unlikely to be able to take the team on to the next step.

Stroll has been struggling for several years with Aston Martin, being vastly outperformed by Alonso in both 2023 and 2024. Now, however, the Canadian is finally outperforming his team-mate in the drivers' championship, yet he seems completely disillusioned with the sport.

Having missed the Spanish GP through injury, Stroll returned at his home race in Canada, something that you would think would spark his excitement for the sport once more. Yet Stroll appeared unbothered during his press conference in Canada, and rumours of the Canadian getting angry with his and the team's performances have been strife in recent weeks.

Alonso, on the other hand, may be a two-time world champion, but that was 20 years ago. The Spaniard is now 43 years old, and the early signs from 2025 suggest that he is unlikely to get back into race-winning and championship-contending form.

So, what should Aston Martin do about their driver lineup?

When will Aston Martin replace Stroll and Alonso?

Both drivers are currently under contract until the end of the 2026 season, and the team have reiterated to GPFans that they are set on honouring both of those contracts.

However, in my personal opinion, they need to freshen up the lineup if they want to take a step closer to championship success. Stroll is the son of the team's owner Lawrence Stroll, and a comfortable position within the team would surely be an option for the younger Stroll, if somebody like a Max Verstappen or George Russell becomes available for 2026.

2026 is such a huge year for the Silverstone outfit, with new regulations sweeping into the sport and the team beginning their partnership with Honda powertrains.

On top of this, the 2026 season will be the first in which the team will be using an Adrian Newey-designed car, and the F1 legend did not join to see his design scrambling around the midfield.

F1 contracts are more fickle now than ever before, as highlighted by Daniel Ricciardo's two sackings in 2022 and 2024, and so Stroll and Alonso's partnership as team-mates may not be as settled as it seems for 2026.

With Alonso, there is a more romantic feel to giving the icon a chance in a car that is more able to challenge nearer to the front. Expect him to race for the full season in 2026 and attempt to finally claim a 33rd career race victory.

Beyond 2026, however, Alonso's future is uncertain, and the Spaniard will perhaps be looking to finally call time on his illustrious career in the sport ahead of the 2027 season.

Who will replace Stroll and Alonso?

In the immediate driver market, silly season rumours have linked the likes of Russell and Verstappen to Aston Martin due to their futures being uncertain.

Russell is currently set to be out of contract at Mercedes at the end of the 2025 season, although the Brit is expected to be tied down to a new deal due to his superb form so far in 2025.

Verstappen's future is of 'great concern' to Red Bull according to advisor Helmut Marko, and there are understood to be performance-based exit clauses in his mammoth Red Bull contract.

A swoop for either of those drivers would be outrageous, and would almost certainly be at the expense of Stroll, but the Silverstone outfit may also have some long-term plans too.

2022 F2 champion Felipe Drugovich has been patiently waiting for a full-time crack at F1, adopting the role of Aston Martin's test and reserve driver since the 2023 season, taking part in a plethora of practice sessions.

The fact that the Brazilian is still there rather than chasing an opportunity with a different team may hint that he has been given certain assurances of a seat in the sport in the future, with Alonso's career beginning to fade out.

Another option could be current Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda, who is out of contract at the end of 2025. Tsunoda is a Japanese racer, and Honda would surely like to see the 25-year-old racing in a Honda-powered car.

The options are plentiful for Aston Martin, but if they want to become a serious championship contender, they need to replace both Alonso and Stroll.

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