Lance Stroll sets Aston Martin goal in 'not normal' update

Lance Stroll wants Aston Martin to spend more time on track during the Chinese Grand Prix, but admitted the team is not yet ready to approach an F1 weekend in the "normal" way.

The Silverstone-based squad has suffered through a torrid start to the campaign, with reduced running in the private Barcelona shakedown and a heavily curtailed track time during testing in Bahrain.

Those problems bled into the opening round in Melbourne, where team principal Adrian Newey confirmed that neither Stroll nor Fernando Alonso could get close to a race distance of consecutive laps without risking "permanent nerve damage" in their hands due to excessive vibrations.

It was also revealed that Honda only had two power unit batteries available by mid-way through the round, both of which were in the back of the two AMR26s.

In the end, Alonso completed 21 laps in two stints before being withdrawn, and Stroll reached the chequered flag 15 laps down, after 43 non-consecutive laps.

Speaking to media, including RacingNews365, at the Shanghai International Circuit, the Canadian said: "We were hoping to do more laps," before pointing out that overall it completed around 150 laps fewer than rival teams.

Stroll, who labelled the battery situation in China as "fragile", after the team declined to provide further information on the number available or the health of the two carried over from Albert Park, explained why Aston Martin cannot prepare for a race weekend conventionally.

"Well, right now, we're battling a lot of issues," the 27-year-old said. "Even just doing laps is difficult, so it's not the normal approach to a weekend, where you show up, and you think about competing, fighting for points, or whatever you know the car is capable of.

"Right now, we're just fighting to get the car out on track, have a reliable package where we can participate."

Aims and objectives

As for his personal preparation, Stroll highlighted how his approach does not alter, regardless of the performance of the AMR26 — and how long it can run for.

However, despite the various problems plaguing its season, the three-time podium finisher set a clear target for the team in Shanghai.

"From my side, it's the same," he added. "I get in the cockpit, whatever machine I get in, and try to extract the most from the steering wheel and the pedals.

"But right now, I think this weekend, we just need to improve on some of the issues we had in Australia and we've had in pre-season testing, which are still: vibration, reliability, getting out on track, doing laps, getting kilometres in the car.

"We're very far behind the competition, just in kilometres from the first day of Barcelona. So, we just need to try and be out on track more this weekend — that would already be really good, I think."