Lance Stroll looks crestfallen at the back of the Aston Martin garage — Photo: © IMAGO

Australian Grand Prix

Aston Martin crisis spirals AGAIN as Lance Stroll sits out entire day at Australian Grand Prix

Lance Stroll cannot catch a break at Albert Park Circuit

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Saturday 7 March 2026 04:55 Updated: 06:25

Aston Martin's F1 crisis has deepened once again as Lance Stroll was forced to sit out of the final practice session AND qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix.

The 27-year-old was confirmed to not be taking part at all in FP3 in Melbourne with 17 minutes to go on the clock, with the Canadian driver having not left the Aston Martin garage all morning.

Things then went from bad to worse for Aston Martin after the Canadian failed to make it out of the garage in qualifying as well.

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Following a disaster at pre-season testing for Aston Martin and their works partner, the full scale of their F1 nightmare was unveiled as the team continues to fall far behind the rest of the pack as the brand new chassis and power unit regulations come into full effect this year.

Team principal and managing technical partner Adrian Newey revealed on Friday that both Stroll and his team-mate Fernando Alonso feared a risk of permanent nerve damage if they attempted to complete the 58-lap Australian GP on Sunday, as a result of vibrations coming from the power unit.

And it seems once again that it was an issue with their power unit provider Honda plaguing them in Melbourne, with a statement from the team released during Saturday's practice session confirming: "Lance will not take part in FP3 due to a suspected ICE issue."

Stroll was unable to take part in the second session of the day and failed to set a lap time.

He will start last on the grid on Sunday, if indeed at all, behind Max Verstappen who crashed out of qualifying.

Aston Martin F1 2026 issues set to linger

Whilst Aston Martin have been making headlines for all the wrong reasons at the F1 2026 season opener, Stroll’s weekend has been rather uneventful where his lap count is concerned.

During the first practice session of the sport’s new era on Friday, Stroll only managed a measly three laps, later adding just 13 laps to his weekend tally in FP2 before failing to put any on the board in practice on Saturday.

As a result of his far from action-packed outings at the Albert Park Circuit, Stroll is yet to set a time within 107 per cent of the fastest time, with qualifying proving vital as concerns continue to be raised over whether either Aston Martin driver will be able to complete Sunday's first race of the championship.

Where Alonso's first weekend of the new season is concerned, he too has been struck down by Honda's PU problems after being forced to sit out of FP1 and finishing at the bottom of the timesheets alongside Stroll in FP2.

The Spaniard did have a relatively better time of it on Saturday, finishing P18 in the final practice session of the weekend, but at least he managed to make it out on track.

Aston Martin 2026 regulations Lance Stroll