The Lance Stroll 2025 F1 season brought further questions about the Canadian driver’s trajectory in Formula 1, as he saw his performance dip throughout his ninth year on the grid. Racing for Aston Martin, Stroll faced persistent struggles with both his machinery and his own consistency during the demanding 24-round campaign, finishing the year in 16th place and trailing significantly behind his experienced team-mate Fernando Alonso.
Stroll Faces Tough Competition from Fernando Alonso
Stroll’s performance paled in comparison to two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who outqualified him at every race except the China sprint event. Alonso’s experience and pace proved too tough for Stroll to match over one lap, setting a pattern that endured through the season.
The race results showcased a slightly less stark difference, with Stroll earning his best finish of the year with sixth place at a rain-hit season opener in Australia, where Alonso crashed out. Stroll used his skills in challenging conditions to secure that result, but his early momentum faded after a ninth-place finish in China. A string of six consecutive races without scoring points followed, leaving the Canadian searching for answers.
Setbacks and Missed Opportunities Mark Stroll’s Campaign
Stroll’s season was further disrupted due to complications from a previous wrist injury suffered while cycling. This setback forced him to sit out the Spanish Grand Prix, interrupting his campaign and momentum. When he returned, his battles persisted; it wasn’t until the British Grand Prix that Stroll briefly shone. Starting 18th, a clever strategy allowed him to surge up to third in changing conditions, but rising tire degradation dropped him back, and he finished seventh. Ironically, Alonso struggled more in that race, starting seventh and coming home ninth.
After F1’s summer break, Stroll delivered a seventh-place result in the Netherlands but slipped back into the lower reaches of the standings in subsequent races. His interviews after poor results became notably terse, with Stroll offering little comment and sounding increasingly dispirited with his racing fortunes.
Criticism from Rivals and On-Track Incidents
Stroll attracted criticism for his driving style, particularly after a controversial defensive move against Gabriel Bortoleto in Brazil. Rookie Franco Colapinto openly remarked,
“Stroll is just always taking people out”
– Franco Colapinto, Rookie Driver. This incident highlighted rising frustration among his competitors. Ironically, at the very next race in Las Vegas, Stroll himself became the victim in a first-lap collision with Bortoleto, whose error was blamed for the crash.
End-of-Season Results and Looking Forward
A 10th-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix capped off Stroll’s challenging 2025 season, cementing his 16th-place ranking in the drivers’ standings and leaving him 23 points behind Alonso, who finished 10th overall. The Canadian’s campaign was marked by underwhelming results, ongoing questions about his F1 future, and the growing impression that he is being overshadowed by both rivals and his own team-mate within Aston Martin.
Lance Stroll now faces an uncertain future in Formula 1, with his lack of progression in the 2025 season drawing increased scrutiny from fans, rivals, and team insiders alike. As the sport gears up for another year, the spotlight will remain on whether the Canadian driver can silence his critics and reclaim the form that once made him one of motorsport’s most intriguing young prospects.
