Montoya Predicts Stroll to Leave Aston Martin if Car Doesn't Improve

Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has made a bold prediction about Lance Stroll's future at Aston Martin. He believes the team owner's son will walk away if the car's performance doesn't pick up.

Fernando Alonso's contract with Aston Martin is set to expire at the end of the 2026 season. Stroll, on the other hand, has a multi-year deal that was said to extend through 2025 and beyond, with an open-ended finish date.

While it's thought both drivers could stay for a few more seasons, Montoya doesn't see Stroll staying long-term. "Stroll will leave if the car doesn't improve," Montoya said, as quoted by F1Maximaal. "If the car is not better next year, I think Aston Martin will have two free seats [in 2028]."

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Aston Martin has had a tough season. After Adrian Newey joined, the future looked bright. But they've been fighting an uphill battle all year, with poor starts, technical issues, and several retirements making life difficult.

"Everyone hopes Adrian Newey and Honda will make sure the car is good. Stroll has been driving in Formula 1 for many years now. If he really doesn't see the situation getting better, how much longer does he want to keep doing this?" Montoya said. "Sooner or later, an Aston Martin without Lance Stroll is going to happen. Maybe next year, maybe the year after."

Stroll has yet to score a single point in 2026, while teammate Alonso has just one. Stroll's best result came at the Hungaroring, where he finished P13, his highest of the season.

"But as I said, I think that race in Hungary has breathed new life into them," Montoya continued. "It was kind of like they were suddenly like, 'Hey, wait a minute, this is starting to get interesting again'." If the team can pull itself out of the rut, both drivers might stay. But if they remain at the back of the grid, chances are neither will see the point in continuing.