Stroll admits he needed motivation to finish last in Montreal as Aston Martin endure worst season start since 2021

Lance Stroll has opened up about a team radio exchange from the Canadian Grand Prix that drew widespread attention after Formula 1 featured it in its post-weekend “Radio Rewind” video, revealing he genuinely had to search for motivation to keep driving while running a distant 15th — and last — in Montreal.

On lap 40, after engineer Gary Gannon updated Stroll on the gap to the car behind, the Canadian made his feelings plain. “I am completing the race for the mechanics, that’s it,” he radioed. Gannon replied with a simple “Totally understand, Lance. Totally understand,” before Stroll added: “…and Lawrence. I am completing the race for the mechanics and Lawrence. That’s it” — a direct reference to his father Lawrence Stroll, who owns the Silverstone-based team.

Asked to explain the message, Stroll did not shy away from the underlying frustration. “We’ve been extremely slow all year,” he said, “and Canada was one of those races where we were just the last car by a lot. In those moments, as a driver, sometimes you’re just hanging on, and it’s not so enjoyable out there — so you need to find some motivation behind the cockpit.”

He described thinking about the hours his mechanics and engineers had put in, as well as his father’s commitment to building the team. “Lawrence has built this team, put everything together at Silverstone, and is super passionate about the project. I needed that little motivation to keep pounding around the track, even though we were last by probably four or five laps at that point. But yeah, it’s tough times for us, challenging times.”

Stroll was also keen to stress that the motivational challenge extends beyond the drivers. “Not just as a driver — for all the engineers that go to the factory every day between races, the mechanics that do this for passion. It’s a whole team. It’s a difficult time for everybody.”

Aston Martin currently sit 10th in the constructors’ championship with a single point, with only Cadillac behind them. It represents the team’s worst start to a season since the project was relaunched in 2021. Unlike most of their rivals, Aston Martin have opted not to develop their car through the early phase of the championship, instead concentrating resources on delivering one major upgrade package later in the year — a gamble that leaves Stroll and his team-mate navigating a difficult stretch with limited immediate relief in sight.

“I have no doubt that we can be a great team,” Stroll added. “We have amazing people and great facilities, so we’re not where we want to be now, but going forward I’m sure we’ll get there.”