Stroll fires playful shot with ‘Honda Championship’ comment in Suzuka

The Canadian delivered a cheeky remark about being in a “championship battle” with teammate Fernando Alonso during his stint at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The 27-year-old, who had earlier described the AMR26 as painful to drive, admitted he still found enjoyment in Suzuka, a circuit he labelled “special.” Stroll particularly highlighted his on-track duel with Alonso, as the pair fought over the final positions on the grid.

“I was enjoying the race. It’s a great track to drive, so I was enjoying the laps around this special circuit and the little Aston Martin battle with Fernando in last and second-to-last,” he said in his post-race interaction with the media.

“I passed him, and then we were in our little Aston Martin-Honda championship, just battling there for 30 laps or so, which was fun. We talked before the race that maybe our race would be a bit more lonely, and if both cars ran together, that could give us some good information in terms of energy and different engine maps, so there was some fun there,” he added.

“Unfortunately, he had to retire the car, and we missed the second part of the fun,” Stroll concluded.

At the Japanese GP, Stroll was the only Aston Martin car to retire from the race, with teammate Alonso completing the team’s first Grand Prix distance of the afternoon. The Canadian had his race blighted by a water pressure issue, which ultimately warranted an early retirement on lap 30.

Honda president Koji Watanabe has outlined the corporation's next steps with Aston Martin F1 Team following the Japanese GP.

The motorsport chief noted that the focus now shifts to curbing the power unit vibration, which the AMR26 has experienced through the opening races of the season.

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