F1 fans think Lance Stroll should ‘retire’ after damning Fernando Alonso stat emerges at the Canadian Grand Prix

Aston Martin were one of the biggest talking points heading into the Canadian Grand Prix, and more specifically, the fitness of Lance Stroll.

Lance Stroll withdrew from the Spanish Grand Prix due to a recurrence of a wrist injury sustained during a cycling accident in 2023.

The 26-year-old recovered from a small procedure in time to take part in his home race at the Canadian Grand Prix for Aston Martin.

Stroll was spotted wincing in pain in the Aston Martin garage as he got back into the car and had a disappointing qualifying session on his return to action.

He failed to progress out of Q1, extending his unwanted Formula 1 record for most exits from the first session of qualifying.

In stark contrast, teammate Fernando Alonso put in another brilliant performance for the team.

Alonso will start Sunday’s race from sixth, setting a quicker time than the likes of Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.

It also meant one worrying statistic emerged after the session that has plenty of Formula 1 fans questioning Stroll’s long-term future in the sport.

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2

Lance Stroll told to ‘retire’ after Fernando Alonso extends qualifying streak at the Canadian Grand Prix

Stroll currently sits above Alonso in the drivers’ championship having scored 14 of Aston Martin’s 16 points so far in 2025.

However, the Canadian has benefited from surviving extreme conditions in Australia and penalties and disqualifications in China and the Miami Sprint Race to earn those points.

Alonso suggested he was the unluckiest driver in Formula 1 with everything conspiring against him this year to delay his first points-scoring finish until the Spanish Grand Prix.

However, Alonso’s P6 result in qualifying means that he’s now outqualified Stroll for 22 consecutive races.

The last time Stroll beat his teammate over one lap was the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, and upon seeing that stat, plenty of fans were quick to respond.

“Aston Martin desperately needs to hire a second driver,” read one comment, while another said, “Wish Drugovich got a chance this weekend.”

“Lance should just retire,” suggested one person and this was echoed by another comment which simply read, “Time for Stroll to call it quits.”

One fan said about Alonso, “He is unlucky, [and] lacks the killer instinct. Crazy how people hate him so much. Alonso is one of the best still. Vettel was past his prime and was still faster. He should consider going to WEC when the car is competitive there. 2026 is going to be his last [season] I reckon.”

However, Stroll did receive some support, with one comment stating, “What does the points comparison look like though,” meanwhile, another fan explained, “Aston’s quali strategy for Lance sucks 70% of the time, [they] should’ve just given him ANY of the new softs.”

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Aston Martin linked with Max Verstappen ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season

Both Alonso and Stroll are signed up for the 2026 F1 season when Aston Martin have far higher hopes for the team.

Adrian Newey’s arrival and a new partnership with Honda could make Aston Martin championship contenders for next season.

This raises further questions about Stroll’s suitability to continue with the team considering his record at this point in his career.

Timo Glock thinks Aston Martin have to sack Stroll if they want to be successful next season.

There have been suggestions that Aston Martin could use Stroll’s injury as an excuse to drop him ahead of 2026.

The driver Aston Martin want to sign is Max Verstappen, but whether they can convince him to leave Red Bull is another matter.

Stroll needs to bring Alonso’s dominance in qualifying to an end otherwise the pressure will continue to mount up on him.