Aston Martin ends Dutch GP with strong pace but Stroll under scrutiny

Aston Martin ended the Dutch Grand Prix weekend with mixed emotions on Monday after showing strong pace in practice, salvaging a double points finish in the race and enduring high-profile controversies that could intensify scrutiny of its driver line up. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both scored points at Zandvoort on Sunday, finishing eighth and seventh respectively, but the weekend featured a heavy crash, strategic frustrations and renewed public criticism of Stroll from former driver Ralf Schumacher.

The team’s optimism was built on Friday form when Alonso posted the second-fastest time in the second practice session and Stroll ran third in the first outing, suggesting the AMR25 suits twisty circuits like Zandvoort and Hungary. Alonso said the practice times left him “a little bit more optimistic” and suggested recent upgrades were paying off. He tempered expectations about beating McLaren but added that Aston Martin could mix it with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

That momentum was interrupted by two significant incidents involving Stroll. He suffered a heavy crash at Turn 3 in FP2 that destroyed the right-hand side of his car and required an overnight rebuild. A second...