Lance Stroll has set a new Formula 1 record by becoming the first driver to be eliminated in the Q1 session 100 times since the three‑part qualifying format began in 2006.
Italian Grand Prix: A Night of Unincluded Power
Stroll qualified last at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, trailing teammate Fernando Alonso by just under a tenth of a second. Alonso himself could not secure a final run before the session closed. The Aston Martin AMR26, powered by an updated Honda unit, was consistently 20 km/h slower than the Mercedes works cars, creating a 2.6‑second deficit against Pierre Gasly’s Alpine during Q1. Stroll acknowledged the engine’s weakness, saying, “We’re three seconds off, so we’re not going to stay with the pack tomorrow.”
Career Highlights Amidst Consistent Drop‑Zone Struggles
Stroll first faced elimination in Q1 during his debut race for Williams at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix, recording a time nine‑tenths of a second shy of Marcus Ericsson. He returned to Q3 in Shanghai the next weekend, but an early collision with Sergio Perez ended that race. His first single‑digit points came at his home race in Montreal, followed by a podium in Azerbaijan. The 2020 Turkish Grand Prix saw Stroll capture pole with Racing Point’s RP20 chassis, without a single drop in Q1 that season.
Analyzing the 100‑Split Record
Stroll’s Q1 eliminations over the years illustrate a pattern: numerous early‑season retreats until 2020, after which the count gradually stabilized but remains high.
- 2017 – 12 times
- 2018 – 15 times
- 2019 – 14 times
- 2020 – 0 times
- 2021 – 7 times
- 2022 – 12 times
- 2023 – 7 times
- 2024 – 5 times
- 2025 – 15 times
- 2026 – 13 times
The tally of 100 Q1 eliminations speaks less to his driving and more to Aston Martin’s ongoing power deficit. While other teams have diversified power units and revamped their chassis, the AMR26 still lags behind the Mercedes platform on both straight speed and lap times.
Future Outlook
With an updated engine to come for the remainder of the season, Stroll and Aston Martin hope to crack the “power clause” that has kept them a full car‑length off the front group. Whether the revisions can halve the 20 km/h gap or simply provide incremental gains remains to be seen, but the record of 100 Q1 eliminations will be a benchmark for future Aston Martin drivers to surpass.
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