Aston Martin F1 star says ‘NO’ to everything in painful nine-word interview at Chinese Grand Prix

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, China, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Aston Martin F1

Aston Martin F1 star says ‘NO’ to everything in painful nine-word interview at Chinese Grand Prix

The Canadian star had very little to say to media

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Monday 16 March 2026 09:57 Updated: 10:15

We are only two weekends into the 2026 F1 season and already it must feel like a year for the struggling Aston Martin team.

This was supposed to be the year the team took a massive step forward after the hiring of the sport’s foremost design genius, Adrian Newey.

Instead, Lawrence Stroll’s expensively-assembled squad has suffered maximum embarrassment, mainly thanks to issues with the power unit supplied by Japanese giant Honda.

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Ever since the team had major issues in pre-season testing in Bahrain, things were looking grim. Then things went to a whole new level at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Newey stunned media immediately by admitting that neither of his drivers would be able to complete the race due to vibrations from that power unit. An issue so bad that both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll feared permanent nerve damage.

Fast forward one week to Shanghai and the Chinese Grand Prix, and things are no better as the team and Honda look for fixes which clearly will not be quick ones.

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Lance Stroll gives nine-word media interview

It must be increasingly grim for all concerned to come out and face media after every excruciatingly embarrassing session, and Lance Stroll summed that up pretty nicely after qualifying.

The 27-year-old Canadian qualified down in a lowly P21, some 2.8 seconds behind Charles Leclerc’s fastest time in Q1. Afterwards he gave one of the shortest media briefings we can remember.

Per Motorsport, the interview opened with Stroll being asked whether he felt Aston Martin had made progress since Australia last weekend. The answer, quite simply, was ‘no’.

The next question was surely an easy hit, did Stroll feel better that he had at least been able to drive more laps in Shanghai than he had in Melbourne? Again, he answered ‘no’.

Next up Stroll was asked whether he could see the team making any progress in Sunday’s race. Yet again, a simple ‘no’ was all the questioner got back.

Finally, and this was the last question forthcoming, Stroll was asked whether there was anything positive at all to report. Here the media got a very slightly longer answer - a whopping six words.

“Not really at the moment, no.”

If anything summed up the absolute despair at Aston Martin right now, maybe it was this. What can you possibly say when there is…nothing good to say.

Newey's F1 team hardly fared any better in Shanghai on Sunday, when once again neither Stroll or his team-mate Alonso were able to make it to the chequered flag.

Aston Martin Chinese Grand Prix Lance Stroll