Lance Stroll in front of the Australian flag — Photo: © IMAGO

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Stroll's Australian GP participation in jeopardy as Newey approaches FIA

Aston Martin battled another issue with their Honda power unit

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Saturday 7 March 2026 08:55

For Lance Stroll, it's all or nothing. The Canadian Aston Martin F1 driver missed both the third practice session and qualifying.

F1 team principal Adrian Newey revealed that he must consult with the FIA to determine whether Stroll is even allowed to compete at the Australian Grand Prix.

The issue centres on the 107% rule, which requires a driver’s lap time to be within 107% of the fastest Q1 time.

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Aston Martin has been battling issues with their engine for weeks, and with Honda facing a shortage of spare parts, the team is playing it safe. This cautious approach has led to a shaky start to the season, and the Melbourne round is still presenting plenty of challenges.

Newey Confers with the FIA

Newey plans to meet with the FIA to explore all possible options for Stroll. "It's clear the AMR26 has the pace for competition, so tonight we'll discuss with the FIA how we can get Lance on track tomorrow," he explained.

Alonso Highlights Major AMR26 Challenges

Fernando Alonso managed to get out of the garage and keep up with some of the field. Although the Spaniard recorded the 17th fastest lap time.

Alonso also pointed to issues with Aston Martin's components: "We're short on batteries and can't take too many risks tomorrow, but we hope to complete as many laps as possible.

"We're all in this together, and everyone at the team and Honda is working incredibly hard to turn things around."

F1 Qualifying Results: Australian Grand Prix 2026

Australian Grand Prix Qualifying results
Position	Driver	Team	Time
1	George Russell	Mercedes	1:18.518
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.293s
3	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	+0.785s
4	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.809s
5	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.862s
6	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.957s
7	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.960s
8	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.476s
9	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+2.729s
10	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	NO TIME
11	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	ELIMINATED IN Q2
12	Oliver Bearman	Haas	ELIMINATED IN Q2
13	Esteban Ocon	Haas	ELIMINATED IN Q2
14	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	ELIMINATED IN Q2
15	Alex Albon	Williams	ELIMINATED IN Q2
16	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	ELIMINATED IN Q2
17	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	ELIMINATED IN Q1
18	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	ELIMINATED IN Q1
19	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	ELIMINATED IN Q1
20	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	ELIMINATED IN Q1
21	Carlos Sainz	Williams	ELIMINATED IN Q1
22	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	ELIMINATED IN Q1