Fernando Alonso Not 100% Without Lance Stroll, According to Spaniard

Over the years, Fernando Alonso hasn’t been known to be the kindest to his teammates. All of us remember his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton. He even went far enough to say that a future friendship would be unlikely between the two. But with Lance Stroll, it’s different. Alonso congratulated Stroll for the 2023 Bahrain GP, calling him a Hero for scoring points with broken toes, and hence began the bromance between the two. And now, he’s come out to suggest that without Lance Stroll, the Spaniard isn’t at his full potential.

But what is Lance Stroll doing to help Alonso? How is Stroll’s subpar performance helping Alonso? Let’s find out.

F1 cars have come a long way. Enzo Ferrari suggested that aerodynamics are for those who cannot build engines. Fast forward to the current day and that Enzo Ferrari quote doesn’t hold up. F1 cars are so complex that many parts can be moved and adjusted. It looks and feels similar to flying a fighter jet. And Alonso explained how Lance Stroll is crucial in setting up the car as his feedback is invaluable.

During the Thursday Driver’s Press Conference for Chinese GP, when Alonso was asked if the team is building the car around him and ignoring Stroll, he said, “I don’t think so. I think, you know, Lance and myself, we are trying to help the team as much as we can. I think we have two different driving styles. In some conditions, we have two different feelings about the car. I think Lance is a lot more sensitive to things than what I am, which is, I think, very, very important for the team. I think the analysis that Lance can reach and can feed back to the team is crucial to us and to improve the car.”

Talking about how he’s not able to feel things that Stroll can, he added, “I’m a little bit insensitive to things sometimes. And this is not a good thing. So yeah. I think we are trying to help us learn as much as we can. And I think the direction that we develop the car and how we finalize, normally, the set-ups on a weekend, is exactly the same. So we arrive at the same conclusion, maybe in a different way. And I think those two different styles are just a good thing for us.”

Alonso seems to have chosen the right team to stay with rather than moving to Mercedes or Red Bull, the teams that were rumored to be in talks with Alonso for next year. 

Aramco Gives Fernando Alonso and Co. a Massive Boost for 2026

F1 will be switching to new Powertrains from the 2026 season. While the engine configuration remains the same, 50% of the power will be produced by batteries and the rest by the engine. According to reports, F1 cars won’t be able to recharge their battery fully with the ERS, and hence engines might be used to charge the batteries. What does Aramco have to do with it?

Aramco is Aston Martin’s title sponsor and an oil company. 2026 demands the engines to be run on 100% synthetic fuel. And Aramco seems to be the company that conducted the tests with FIA and F1 for 2026. This gives them a headstart and a better understanding of what the requirements must be. Also, charging the batteries from the engine will mean that the role of the fuel in producing as much power as possible will become even more crucial.

What do you think? Did Fernando Alonso make the right decision by staying at Aston Martin?