Stroll tears into AMR25: ‘Worst piece of sh*t I’ve ever driven’

For once last weekend, Lance Stroll wasn’t just a quiet figure blending into Formula 1’s midfield, his presence barely registering as fans and pundits alike wondered if he was even racing.

In Sunday’s British Grand Prix, the Canadian was impossible to ignore, charging through a chaotic, rain-soaked Silverstone to run as high as third – only to unleash at the end of the day a blistering tirade against his Aston Martin AMR25, branding it “the worst piece of sh** I’ve ever driven in my life.”

Despite salvaging a respectable seventh place, Stroll’s outburst underscored a season of frustrations for Aston Martin, whose upgrades failed to deliver the grip needed to compete.

A Promising Run Undermined by Tyre Woes

Stroll’s weekend began with familiar struggles, a dismal P18 in qualifying after red flags disrupted his lap. But Sunday’s unpredictable weather offered a lifeline. Sharp strategy calls from Aston Martin propelled him into the top three mid-race, capitalizing on the wet conditions.

Yet, as the track dried, crippling tyre degradation saw him slide back, overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly on the very last lap.

“Very mixed weekend for us at Silverstone – we showed some decent pace during practice on Friday, which unfortunately we couldn’t build on during qualifying and started from the back today,” Stroll said, reflecting on events.

“The team made some good strategy calls during the race and overall a good result. I really struggled with tyre degradation and unfortunately we weren’t in a position where we could fight for more. [

“Hülkenberg had a lot more grip during that last stint and with the level of degradation we got the best possible result today.”

On his cool-down lap, Stroll’s frustration boiled over on team radio. When engineer Gary Gannon commended his “amazing finish,” saying, “Yeah. Crazy car to drive, amazing finish,” Stroll snapped back.

“Yeah ‘crazy’ is an understatement, I mean it’s the worst piece of sh** I have ever driven in my life to be honest. But it’s ok. 7th.”

The blunt assessment, aired publicly, highlighted the AMR25’s shortcomings, despite Stroll’s P7 outscoring teammate Fernando Alonso’s P9, nudging him ahead in the drivers’ championship.

Team Response and Missed Opportunities

Aston Martin team boss Andy Cowell offered a more measured perspective, praising Stroll’s error-free drive while acknowledging the team’s struggles.

“It was an intense and challenging afternoon in Silverstone with Lance and Fernando battling hard to score eight points between them,” Cowell said.

“We were fighting at the front, but our pace dropped off as the DRS was enabled and the track continued to dry.

“We probably switched Fernando to the dry tyres a bit too early, but he managed to recover to the points. Lance drove very well today: he didn’t put a wheel out of place. Given the pace of the car, P7 is a great result.

“In these rainy races, you often reflect and see opportunities where you could have done things differently – and most teams probably feel the same – but we can be pleased to get both cars in the points at our home race.”

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While Stroll’s seventh place marked a rare high point in a season marred by inconsistency and a wrist injury that forced him to miss the Spanish Grand Prix, his scathing words stole the headlines.

Often criticized for lackluster performances, Stroll’s visibility at Silverstone – both in pace and post-race candor – served as a stark reminder of his potential and his discontent.

With Aston Martin languishing eighth in the constructors’ standings, Stroll’s outburst may well echo the team’s broader need to address the AMR25’s deficiencies before the next race at Spa.

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