Formula 1
Lance Stroll: Aston Martin F1 struggles a factor in surprise GT outing
Stroll is embracing a rare GT outing with Aston Martin in France, where “winning is possible”
Rachit Thukral
Edited: Apr 9, 2026, 8:40 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Photo by: Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Lance Stroll says Aston Martin’s ongoing woes in Formula 1 played a role in his decision to enter this weekend’s GT World Challenge Europe event at Paul Ricard.
The Canadian will take advantage of an unexpected gap on the F1 calendar to contest the opening GTWCE Endurance Cup event of 2026, driving Comtoyou Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya. It will mark just his third major sportscar outing, following two previous appearances at the Daytona 24 Hours in prototype machinery in the mid-to-late 2010s.
Stroll’s Aston Martin team has struggled for both performance and reliability at the start of F1’s new era this year, despite significant investment in infrastructure and the high-profile signing of Adrian Newey. Its works partnership with Honda has also been strained by an uncompetitive power unit that suffers heavily from vibrations.
Across the opening three rounds, Stroll is yet to register a classified finish, while his team-mate Fernando Alonso has also not scored a point.
Amid a five-week break following the cancellation of Bahrain and Saudi rounds, Stroll said he wanted to “change things up a bit” and enjoy a more relaxed weekend in France.
“I really enjoyed racing the 24 Hours of Daytona. It’s a race I truly loved,” he said on Thursday.
“Since then, I’ve been very focused on Formula 1, but this year we don’t have a very competitive car, and we now have some time without races.
“So, it was an idea to change things up a bit — a different mindset during the break.
“Jean-Michel [Baert, Comtoyou team owner] was very accommodating, and we organised everything in about a week.
“So, a big thank you to Jean-Michel. That’s why I’m here racing this weekend.”
Gilles Magnus, Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
The Comtoyou Aston is registered in the Pro class, which features 18 entries as part of a larger 59-car grid.
Stroll believes sportscar racing offers a more open competitive landscape, giving him and his team a realistic shot at victory if “everything comes together”.
Asked what his goal was for the weekend, Stroll said: “Enjoyment — and it’s also a race.
“In Formula 1, you don’t always have the opportunity to win. Here, it’s very competitive, but even if it’s our first time and we lack experience, if everything comes together — good setup, good feeling — winning is possible. That doesn’t really exist in Formula 1. That’s also a big motivation for me to be here.”
The idea of racing at Paul Ricard was conceived over the Japanese GP on 27-29 March, where Stroll met some of his friends, including ex-grand prix driver Merhi, over dinner.
There has been renewed interest among F1 drivers in sportscar racing, with Max Verstappen in particular generating headlines for his recent endeavours at the Nordschleife-based NLS series.
Stroll revealed he spoke to Verstappen about his GT plans during the Suzuka weekend.
“We talked about whom to contact, and since he’s already involved in GT racing, we discussed it a bit. Everyone enjoys driving GT3 cars — they’re fun,” he said.
Asked whether he would be open to further outings in this discipline, Stroll added: “If I feel good physically and mentally, yes — I’d like to do more races during the year.”
Read Also:
Formula 1Why Aston Martin has no need to “make peace” with Honda
Formula 1Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso resort to "Aston Martin championship" battle in Japan
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Finally F1 cars don’t need to be faster to overtake – Isack Hadjar
Next article Martin Brundle delivers blunt verdict on Max Verstappen retirement threats
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Rachit Thukral
Gresini: New MotoGP rules won't increase gap between factory and satellite teams
MotoGP
MotoGP
Indonesian GP
9 h
Gresini: New MotoGP rules won't increase gap between factory and satellite teams
Cadillac signs Ricky Taylor, Antonio Felix da Costa in refreshed 2027 WEC line-up
WEC
WEC
Barcelona
Cadillac signs Ricky Taylor, Antonio Felix da Costa in refreshed 2027 WEC line-up
More from
Lance Stroll
“Even faster than Ferrari” – Fernando Alonso grabs Aston Martin’s best result of F1 2026
Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
“Even faster than Ferrari” – Fernando Alonso grabs Aston Martin’s best result of F1 2026
Lance Stroll: Honda F1 engine makes Aston Martin slower by two seconds a lap
Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Lance Stroll: Honda F1 engine makes Aston Martin slower by two seconds a lap
More from
Aston Martin Racing
The six drivers doing double duty in Portimao GTWCE and Barcelona WEC this weekend
WEC
WEC
Barcelona
The six drivers doing double duty in Portimao GTWCE and Barcelona WEC this weekend
What the drivers are expecting from F1's return to Sepang
Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
What the drivers are expecting from F1's return to Sepang
Latest news
GTA VI 'Vice City' blimp to appear at NASCAR championship weekend
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
3 h
GTA VI 'Vice City' blimp to appear at NASCAR championship weekend
Verstappen Racing struggles to 15th as Porsche takes emotional Portimao pole
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 4 h
Verstappen Racing struggles to 15th as Porsche takes emotional Portimao pole
Franco Colapinto urges fans to stop the abuse: “You’re not helping me or my future”
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
8 h
Franco Colapinto urges fans to stop the abuse: “You’re not helping me or my future”
Gresini: New MotoGP rules won't increase gap between factory and satellite teams
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Indonesian GP
9 h
Gresini: New MotoGP rules won't increase gap between factory and satellite teams
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe