Schumacher: Lawrence Stroll must ‘fire son’ if Aston wants success

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Germany pundit Ralf Schumacher has launched yet another scathing attack on Lance Stroll, declaring that Aston Martin will never achieve its lofty ambitions with the Canadian in the cockpit.

Speaking to Bild, Schumacher ridiculed the contrast between Stroll and his veteran teammate Fernando Alonso, insisting the stats speak for themselves and that Lawrence Stroll must finally make the ruthless call.

Schumacher pulled no punches when addressing the Canadian’s ongoing humiliation in qualifying.

“If he really wants to become world champion, he has to fire his son,” Schumacher said. “Lance's 0-27 qualifying loss to his teammate Fernando Alonso says it all.

“The father has to decide: emotions or success. If he's serious, he'll have to completely rethink the driver line-up for 2026. I think he knows that, but the decision is difficult for him.”

The numbers are damning. Since the 2024 British Grand Prix, Alonso has outqualified Stroll in every single Saturday afternoon session — a staggering 27 consecutive race weekends.

Despite sitting on equal points this season, that statistic highlights the gulf in performance between the two drivers, and Schumacher sees no room for sentiment if Aston Martin truly wants to challenge for a championship.

“An absolute no-go”

This is not the first time Schumacher has ripped into Stroll. Last month, the Canadian made headlines for his disparaging outburst during the British Grand Prix, calling his AMR24 “the worst piece of shit I’ve ever driven” – words that shocked the paddock and drew heavy criticism from Schumacher.

“I have to say, that’s completely unacceptable – an absolute no-go. It’s unspeakable and indicates a poor upbringing. I really don’t know what movie he’s living in, but it’s a shame to ruin his own result like that,” Schumacher told Sky Germany. 

“It was a big celebration at the Aston Martin factory, they set up a big tent in front of the factory. And they are important points for the team, which come with important bonuses for the mechanics and the staff.

“When the person who does the race ruins it like that, you have to say ‘sit down, son, and apologise to the team.’”

With Adrian Newey now tasked with designing the 2026 car and Aston Martin investing heavily in new facilities, the Silverstone-based outfit is at a critical juncture.

But with Stroll continuing to underperform, Schumacher is adamant the team cannot waste its golden opportunity on a driver who endlessly struggles to deliver.

Schumacher summed it up bluntly: Aston Martin’s billionaire boss has a choice – “emotions or success.”

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