Stroll's GT experience concludes in disappointment amid Aston's turmoil.

      The outcome was a disappointing P48 out of 49 classified vehicles.

      Lance Stroll's attempt to turn around his challenging 2026 season during the mandated April break in Formula 1 ended in disappointment at Paul Ricard. With Aston Martin-Honda experiencing a poor start to the year, the Canadian seized the opportunity in the calendar to participate in the GT World Challenge Europe, arriving with high hopes. "In Formula 1, winning isn’t always an option. The competition here is intense, but even though it’s our first time and we lack experience, if everything goes well, a win is achievable," Stroll remarked before the six-hour race. "That’s not something you find in Formula 1, which serves as a strong motivation for me to be here."

      Driving an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO for Comtoyou Racing alongside Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya, Stroll appreciated the more "pure" aspect of GT racing. "For me, whenever I’m in the car with my helmet on, whether here, in Formula 1, or even in karting, the mentality remains the same," he explained. "But it’s more enjoyable here—there are fewer media obligations, more opportunity to spend time in the garage collaborating with the team, and simply driving and enjoying it."

      However, the reality was significantly more challenging. After qualifying in P15, the race quickly deteriorated due to penalties and incidents. When Stroll took over for the final stint, the difficulties increased. He received penalties for ignoring blue flags and repeatedly going beyond track limits, resulting in over seven minutes of total penalties. The final result was a lowly P48 out of 49 classified cars. The difference between this performance and Aston Martin’s struggles in Formula 1 was glaring, as the team was already the slowest on the grid and grappling with reliability and performance problems.

      Also present at Paul Ricard was Max Verstappen, not in a driving role but as a team principal, managing his Red Bull-backed GT entry, which finished in P10. MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi, who was also competing in the event, expressed his enthusiasm for Verstappen's growing interest in GT racing. "It’s a great pleasure to see Verstappen driving these cars. I truly hope to share the track with him soon and do a couple of laps together," he stated. "GT is an expanding category, the cars are very fun to drive, and it’s a realm where the essence of motorsport is still alive."