Lance Stroll: If Aston Martin is still slow in Hungary with upgrades then Honda updates won’t fix all our problems

With a major upgrade package in Hungary, Aston Martin will have a lot at stake before the summer break. For Lance Stroll, the Hungaroring will show whether the AMR26's problems can be fixed and if the team can still revive its season

In Hungary next week, the last round before the summer break, Aston Martin will introduce a major upgrade package for the first time this season.

The new parts will primarily aim to correct the weaknesses of the AMR26 chassis, while the next improvements to the Honda engine will arrive after the summer break at the Dutch GP.

The scale of this package is such that it can almost be described as a B-spec Aston Martin. The chassis, with weight reduced, as has that of the gearbox, also had to go through the FIA homologation tests again.

Asked on Thursday in the Spa paddock about the positives of the AMR26 in its current configuration, Lance Stroll did not try to hide his frustration: "We can only go forward, so that's positive. I mean, right now, yeah, it's been pretty terrible. There's nothing great, there's nothing we like about our car, there's no strengths, so we can only get better."

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The British Grand Prix perfectly illustrated the difficulties faced by Aston Martin. Several videos circulated on social media showing the Canadian struggling with massive understeer, to the point of turning the steering wheel all the way to the stop in the fast Copse corner.

"We have entry instability and braking in medium-low speed. And then we have this kind of aero stalling, that kind of front-to-floor, front-wing stalling, where we just completely wash out in high-speed corners, so there's a few limitations," Stroll said.

"Some of these aerodynamic stalls are very hard to see on the pressure taps and where it's coming from. So I'm just trying to kind of give more of an idea to the guys back in Silverstone that are doing aero and everything, what we're feeling in the car. Sometimes it's hard for them to see it just on data."

Aston Martin compte beaucoup sur son package de Hongrie.

Photo de: Manuel Eletto / Getty Images

Returning to the package expected in Hungary, Stroll detailed the team's technical objectives: "We're hoping we improve some of the characteristics, more downforce for sure, but some of these bad aero characteristics that we've had for a long time, we're hoping that we can make a healthier car and just a nicer car to drive."

While the Honda engine had so far seemed to be Aston Martin's main handicap, the team is also suffering from a significant downforce deficit. Asked about a possible link between the lack of power and the car's understeer, Stroll insisted that the two problems were independent.

"I think it's two different issues," he said. "We have a lot of things to work on with drivability. We're down on just power, but then we have a lot of balance issues, limitations, and just downforce. We need to find a lot more downforce."

Hungary as an ultimatum

Stroll added that Hungary will be the real moment of truth for Aston Martin. On a circuit where the chassis matters far more than power, the upgrade package will have to demonstrate its effectiveness. Otherwise, according to him, even the future improvements to the Honda engine will not be enough to get the team back in the fight.

"I think Hungary is a good test. It's not a very power sensitive circuit, it's a chassis circuit, so that's the test," he said. "If we're still very slow in Hungary, then just the power that's coming in Zandvoort is not going to fix all our problems.

"It's not a power sensitive circuit, so it's one of those places you need downforce and good balance. If we're looking a lot more competitive in Hungary, I think that's going to be a good sign for the rest of the season."