Stroll Shines in P6 - Alonso’s Shock Crash Halts Aston Martin

Lance Stroll secured a solid P6 with a steady drive, while Fernando Alonso’s unexpected crash left Aston Martin with mixed emotions in Melbourne.

Aston Martin F1 had a mixed weekend in Melbourne, with Lance Stroll delivering a solid performance while Fernando Alonso suffered a sudden and costly crash.

A Steady and Smart Drive for Stroll

Lance Stroll clinched a well-earned sixth place after a challenging race, staying focused on consistency and avoiding mistakes. With six drivers failing to finish, he was satisfied with his composed approach.

“It was one of those races where you just had to stay on track and keep it clean. I managed to do that today, so I’m happy with P6,” Stroll said. However, he admitted that confidence was hard to come by in the tricky conditions.

“Confidence is a big word today. Honestly, I didn’t have much because the conditions were unpredictable. We were on slick tires, the dry line was forming, and then it started raining again—it was really tricky. The key was to stay clean, and I did that.”

Alonso’s Crash “Came Out of Nowhere”

While Stroll kept it steady, his teammate Fernando Alonso wasn’t as fortunate. The Spaniard lost control at Turn 6, spinning into the wall in an incident he admitted caught him completely off guard.

“The crash came out of nowhere. I was surprised to lose the car—I wasn’t any wider than on the previous lap, I just spun. It’s a costly mistake, but I don’t know what I could have done differently. I just got unlucky,” Alonso reflected.

The two-time world champion had been battling with Kimi Antonelli, who eventually finished fifth. Alonso believes he had a strong chance to score good points.

“I was running tenth, Antonelli was 11th, and I was focused on securing points. But we’ll have another chance in five days—I hope we can do better.”

Encouraging Signs for Aston Martin

Despite the mixed results, Aston Martin showed promising pace in their first race of the season.

“We were in the midfield battle with [Pierre] Gasly. Antonelli was quicker, but overtaking wasn’t easy. Overall, we’re in the mix—some weekends will be better, others tougher.”

While Alonso’s crash was a setback, Stroll’s clean drive and the team’s solid race pace offer reasons for optimism heading into the next round.