Fernando Alonso recently extended his Aston Martin contract for another two years. His teammate Lance Stroll, however, is yet to follow suit. When questioned recently whether he was going to race in 2025, the Canadian said he was not sure. F1 presenters Will Buxton and Lawrence Barretto aren’t buying Stroll’s claims though.
Speaking on the Chinese GP Weekend Warm-up show, Buxton said, “It’s not an absolute yes from Lance. I mean, he’s obviously gonna be there. We heard today they’re gonna start contract negotiations soon.”
Barretto then added, “Lance is gonna be there until 2026 at the very least, I’m convinced. So that seat’s out, locked out. He’s got the opportunity to race there next year, see what the regulations offer, and then go from there.”
Buxton’s first reaction to Stroll’s comment was that of surprise. That is because the 25-year-old arguably has the most secured seat in F1. Being the son of Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll, Lance has that privilege.
Unless he decides to hang up his racing boots, the former Williams driver is most likely free to race for as long as he wants. With little known about the details of his contract, The Race puts Lance’s contract under the “Rolling” category.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso has proved to be a far greater asset to Aston Martin with his points-scoring streak. Had it not been for the clout Lance Stroll enjoys on the team, they would have a lineup of young drivers willing to take over.
Those include drivers who have won the F2 championship in recent years. Alonso, however, is in no mood to let his current teammate leave and presumably has a good reason for it.
Why Fernando Alonso is keen on having Lance Stroll as his teammate?
Aston Martin’s fortunes took a turn for the better right from the moment Fernando Alonso began driving for them. The team benefits hugely from his feedback that helps them upgrade their car. The Spaniard, however, gave credit where it was due. He recently praised Lance Stroll for helping the car reach its “100% potential”.
Alonso singing praise for Lance is not a new development, though. The Spaniard spoke highly of his teammate right from the start of the 2023 season. At one point, he went as far as dubbing Lance as a future world champion. That proves the two-time champion is in no mood to lose Lance as a teammate anytime soon.
But there is one thing that could lead to the Canadian calling it quits in F1 on his own. That is his love for tennis. Growing up, Lance was an avid tennis player with a natural talent for the game.
Many claim he loves the tennis court just as much today as he did during his childhood. While it may be a far-fetched theory, tennis might just drive him away from F1.
