Lance Stroll outqualified Fernando Alonso at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, ending a 42-race qualifying streak that had favoured his Aston Martin teammate — and the Canadian could not have cared less. Stroll beat Alonso to 21st on the grid by just 0.057 seconds, though he was still over a second adrift of Valtteri Bottas in 20th, the slower of the two Cadillacs. Not exactly champagne territory.
Lance Stroll Outqualifies Alonso at Barcelona — But Has Zero Interest in Celebrating
Asked how qualifying went, Stroll was blunt: “Not so good.” When pushed on whether beating Alonso to the grid meant anything, his response was equally direct — “No. I don’t care.” Pressed further on whether it would have felt more significant had they been scrapping at the front, he was even less diplomatic: “I don’t know. I don’t give a s—.”
That streak, for the record, stretched all the way back to the 2024 British Grand Prix — though Stroll did edge Alonso during sprint qualifying in China last year, a session that flew under the radar. Formula 1’s official site confirms George Russell took a stunning pole for the Barcelona race, with Kimi Antonelli lining up third.
Alonso Points to Technical Chaos — and Defends His Teammate’s Reputation
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso was dealing with a seriously compromised car. He described heavy rear axle locking under braking in certain corners and an unsettling sensation of the engine continuing to push the car forward at others. “Our engine and gearbox are a little bit random,” he admitted, adding that the whole weekend had been a struggle.
Interestingly, though, Alonso was quick to defend Stroll rather than dismiss the milestone. He pointed to Lance’s roughly even qualifying record against four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel before Alonso joined the team as evidence of just how rapid the Canadian actually is. “Lance is a very fast driver,” Alonso said plainly — and coming from a two-time world champion, that carries weight.
As for the bigger picture, BBC Sport notes that Aston Martin and engine partner Honda have endured a wretched start under Formula 1’s new regulations this season. The team sits at the back of the grid with no significant upgrade package expected until after the summer break. Stroll acknowledged the situation plainly: “We need to wait for the upgrade package.” A holding pattern, in his own words — and right now, that is exactly where Aston Martin finds itself.
