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Lance Stroll’s Pace Compared to Fernando Alonso: De la Rosa’s Assessment
By Drooid · · How we work
Background – Stroll and Alonso at Aston Martin
Since joining Aston Martin in 2023, Canadian driver Lance Stroll has been paired with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. The partnership has produced a clear statistical edge for the Spanish veteran: Alonso has out-qualified Stroll in 72 of 82 head-to-head sessions, including a streak of more than 40 consecutive Grand Prix qualifying sessions that ended only recently at Barcelona. Stroll’s overall qualifying record against teammates stands at 45 wins to 160 losses, with a solitary 1-0 advantage over Paul di Resta at the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix and a 17-2 deficit to Felipe Massa in the same year when Massa was healthy.
Performance Data
- Qualifying advantage: Alonso 72 – 10 over Stroll.
- Overall teammate qualifying record for Stroll: 45 – 160.
- Notable exceptions: Stroll out-qualified Alonso on a few occasions, most recently at Barcelona; a 1-0 edge over di Resta (2017 Hungarian GP); a 17-2 disadvantage to Massa (2017).
These figures are consistently reported across the source articles and represent established facts about the drivers’ comparative qualifying performance.
De la Rosa’s Evaluation (Official Statements & Responses)
Former Formula 1 driver and Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa argued that raw speed comparisons cannot be reduced to qualifying tallies alone. He described Stroll as “super fast” and “unbeatable” in many corner types across a variety of circuits, emphasizing that the Canadian excels in both low-speed and high-speed sections. De la Rosa noted that Stroll’s race-pace is also strong, particularly in tyre management.
Crucially, he qualified his praise by stressing the car’s role: the current Aston Martin chassis and engine are “very difficult” and not consistently driver-friendly. He asserted that when the machinery performs as intended, Stroll’s pace matches Alonso’s, labeling the Canadian “very underrated.” De la Rosa suggested that internal data may already reflect a more competitive Stroll than public results reveal.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The core tension lies between the quantitative record—Alonso’s dominant qualifying margin—and de la Rosa’s qualitative assessment that Stroll can be equally quick when the car allows. Sources present the statistics as factual, while de la Rosa’s statements are attributed opinions based on data analysis and personal observation. No independent verification of the internal performance data cited by de la Rosa is provided, leaving a gap in publicly available evidence that could reconcile the statistical disparity with his claims.
Implications for Aston Martin
If de la Rosa’s view holds, improvements to chassis balance and engine drivability could unlock Stroll’s latent speed, potentially narrowing the qualifying gap with Alonso and enhancing the team’s overall competitiveness. The endorsement also positions Stroll as an undervalued asset, which may influence internal driver development strategies and external perceptions of his market value. Conversely, the persistent statistical advantage for Alonso suggests that any performance gains for Stroll will require substantive technical upgrades rather than reliance on driver skill alone.