Lance Stroll issues clear Honda demand in Aston Martin warning

Lance Stroll has sent Honda a "simple" instruction, imploring Aston Martin's engine provider to deliver "more power" to the AMR26.

The Canadian was quick to highlight that the Silverstone-based squad must also "improve" its car ahead of the new F1 season getting underway, but the team's problem-besieged power unit was a focal point during testing for the new campaign.

As F1 enters a new era with a rewritten rulebook, Aston Martin and Honda's fledgling partnership appears to have gotten off to the worst start imaginable.

The revamped regulations have posed a challenge for all teams. Still, the Adrian Newey-led operation is significantly on the back foot heading into the curtain raiser in Melbourne, after a disastrous pre-season.

Across nine days of running in Barcelona and Bahrain, Stroll and Fernando Alonso managed less than 400 laps, which is also less than a third of the number completed by Mercedes, which led the way with 1,204.

More damning still, it was nearly half the 745 clocked in by the next best team, the brand new Cadillac outfit, which did not even have a confirmed entry 12 months ago.

When the AMR26 was not being plagued by reliability issues, the car was worryingly off the pace.

During the first week at the Bahrain International Circuit, Stroll estimated the car was four-to-four-and-a-half seconds off the leading teams.

Speaking during the second three-day test in Sakhir, the three-time podium finisher told media, including RacingNews365: "We need more power. It's as simple as that.

"We're lacking on power. And then, we also need to improve the car. So, a combination of things."

A battery problem limited Stroll to just six laps of running on the final day, as Honda tried to understand the nature of some of the issues the power unit is facing.

The Japanese car giant has openly admitted it is not happy with the situation, and there is widespread speculation that, currently, the battery is struggling to recharge fully, something that will pose significant issues during a grand prix.

As for the chassis itself, which is understood to also be an area of concern at this early stage of the regulations cycle, Stroll warned that whilst there is no quick fix, the team will continue "chipping away" at the problems it faces.

When asked if they are growing pains that can be solved in the short term, or if they are related to the DNA of the AMR26, the 27-year-old replied: "Car, for sure.

"We have a lot of ideas. Will all of our problems be fixed for Melbourne? Probably not.

"But it’s a long season, 24 races. So, we keep chipping away. We try and bring as much performance as we can every weekend.

"And then on the engine side, the same, just try and bring as much performance as we can throughout the year, and we'll see how we go."