Montoya Predicts Aston Martin Could Lose Both Drivers If Form Does Not Improve

Montoya sees Aston Martin facing a major driver decision

Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Aston Martin could be left with two vacant seats if its performance does not improve. His prediction places particular focus on Lance Stroll, whose future with the team is less clearly defined than Fernando Alonso’s.

Alonso’s contract is set to expire at the end of the 2026 season, while Stroll’s multi-year extension was confirmed through 2025 and beyond without a specified end date. Although both drivers are believed to have the option of remaining in Formula 1 for several more seasons, Montoya does not expect Stroll to stay indefinitely if Aston Martin remains at the back of the field.

“Stroll will leave if the car doesn’t improve,” Montoya said, according to F1Maximaal. “If the car is not better next year, I think Aston Martin will have two free seats [in 2028].”

A difficult season raises the pressure

Aston Martin’s campaign has been defined by poor starts, technical problems and several retirements. The arrival of Adrian Newey had strengthened expectations for the team’s future, but the immediate results have not matched that optimism.

Stroll has yet to score a point in 2026, while Alonso has collected only one. Stroll’s best result came at the Hungaroring, where he finished 13th. That result nevertheless offered a rare indication that Aston Martin may have found a more positive direction. The team’s Hungary upgrade was also described by Stroll as potentially its most encouraging in team history, as reported in our coverage of the development.

Montoya suggested the result had changed the mood inside the team: “That race in Hungary has breathed new life into them. It was kind of like they were suddenly like, ‘Hey, wait a minute, this is starting to get interesting again’.”

Improvement is the dividing line

Montoya’s assessment is straightforward: Aston Martin’s driver line-up may depend entirely on whether the car can escape its current rut. “Sooner or later, an Aston Martin without Lance Stroll is going to happen. Maybe next year, maybe the year after that,” he said.

If the team can recover, both drivers could still continue. But if Aston Martin remains firmly at the rear, Montoya believes neither driver may see enough value in staying beyond the next phase of the project.