Juan Pablo Montoya believes Lance Stroll could eventually leave Aston Martin if the team fails to deliver a significantly more competitive Formula 1 car. The former Colombian F1 driver has suggested that the Canadian’s future could become uncertain by 2028, potentially leaving Aston Martin with an entirely new driver line-up if Fernando Alonso also moves on.
The possibility is particularly significant because Stroll’s place at Aston Martin has rarely been regarded as one of the conventional uncertainties in the Formula 1 driver market. However, Montoya believes that even the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll could eventually decide that he has had enough if Aston Martin’s performance does not improve.
Aston Martin could face two driver changes for 2028
Aston Martin could therefore enter the 2028 season with a completely renewed driver pairing, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Fernando Alonso’s future. The Spaniard’s current contract expires at the end of this season, although Alonso appears willing to continue for at least one more year.
A decision on whether Fernando Alonso will remain in Formula 1 for 2027 is expected after the summer break. His situation has already become one of the more intriguing questions on the driver market, with the two-time World Champion making clear that his next move will depend heavily on his own motivation. He has also addressed speculation surrounding his Aston Martin future as the 2027 grid begins to take shape.
Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin performance will not decide his future
Fernando Alonso has explained that the competitiveness of the Aston Martin will not necessarily determine whether he continues. The 45-year-old intends to focus primarily on how much he still enjoys driving a Formula 1 car when making his decision.
That position is encouraging for Adrian Newey, Aston Martin’s team principal and managing technical partner, following an extremely difficult opening half of the season. The team struggled from the beginning of 2026 under the new technical regulations, although there were encouraging signs from the B-specification AMR26 introduced in Hungary.
Neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll managed to score points in Budapest, but the extensive upgrade represented an important first indication that Aston Martin might finally be moving in the right direction. Fernando Alonso has since expressed encouragement about the AMR26B and the potential for further gains.
More updates are expected during the second half of the season, while Honda is due to introduce a revised power unit at the Dutch Grand Prix when Formula 1 returns from the summer break.
Adrian Newey is “quite confident” that Fernando Alonso could remain with the team for 2027, while Lance Stroll appears virtually certain to stay for next season. The Canadian is the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll and is understood to have a contract extending beyond 2027.
Montoya: Lance Stroll will leave if Aston Martin does not improve
It is Lance Stroll’s longer-term future, however, that Montoya believes could become much less certain in 2028. According to the former Williams and McLaren driver, Stroll could decide to walk away if Aston Martin cannot provide him with a more competitive car.
“Stroll will leave if the car doesn’t improve,” Juan Pablo Montoya said, as quoted by F1Maximaal.
“If the car isn’t better next year, I think Aston Martin will have two seats available in 2028. Everyone hopes that Adrian Newey and Honda can make the car competitive. Lance Stroll has been racing in Formula 1 for many years now. If he really doesn’t see the situation improving, how much longer will he want to keep doing all this?”
Juan Pablo Montoya therefore believes that, sooner or later, Lance Stroll’s time as an Aston Martin Formula 1 driver will come to an end.
“Sooner or later, an Aston Martin without Lance Stroll will become a reality. Maybe next year, maybe the year after.”
AMR26B upgrade gives Aston Martin renewed hope
Despite his prediction about Lance Stroll’s future, Juan Pablo Montoya acknowledged the progress Aston Martin showed at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the team introduced the B-specification AMR26 featuring 16 new components.
Neither driver scored points, but Fernando Alonso managed to reach Q2, while Lance Stroll finished the Grand Prix in 13th place, one position ahead of his team-mate. The final Hungarian Grand Prix classification underlined how much work remained despite the first encouraging signs from the heavily revised car.
“But, as I said,” Juan Pablo Montoya continued, “I think that race in Hungary gave them new life. It was a bit as though all of a sudden they thought, ‘Hey, wait a minute, this is getting interesting again.’”
Lance Stroll remains on zero points this season, while Fernando Alonso has scored just one. Aston Martin consequently sits 10th in the Constructors’ Championship, but the upgrades introduced in Hungary could represent the first step towards a more positive second half of the 2026 campaign.
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