Stroll makes honest admission: 'I've had some pretty bad cars over the years'

Aston Martin heads to Hungary with its first major upgrade package of the season, targeting several key areas of the car ahead of the debut of its new power unit after the summer break at Zandvoort. The hope is that the update will significantly reduce the gap after the team's deficit to both the front-runners and the midfield had grown considerably over the past few races.

Speaking to GPblog among other media ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Canadian admitted he has become accustomed to driving uncompetitive cars over the course of his career, explaining that his approach is simply to race with whatever package he is given, regardless of whether it is capable of winning or several seconds off the pace.

Despite Aston Martin's difficult first half of the season, Stroll still believes the team has a bright future and remains confident in what it can achieve, even if it is currently far from where it wants to be. He also acknowledged that the opening part of the campaign has not been enjoyable for anyone within the team, adding that everyone hopes the situation will improve in the races ahead.

Speaking to GPblog among other media ahead of the weekend, Mike Krack confirmed that Aston Martin's new package combines a significant aerodynamic upgrade with a reduction in weight.

He explained that introducing such a substantial update means the team must learn as much as possible in a short space of time, especially without the benefit of winter testing to complete back-to-back comparisons. Krack stressed that extracting the maximum potential from the package will depend heavily on the quality of the team's data and simulations, adding that Aston Martin does not expect to unlock everything immediately and will instead need to build its understanding throughout the weekend.

Krack also said the main objective is to get Aston Martin back into the fight after several races in which the team had been unable to compete as intended. While he admitted it is impossible to predict exactly where the team will slot into the competitive order, he believes the latest package should at least allow the car to return to racing on a more competitive footing.

Finally, he played down expectations surrounding the update package, insisting it should not be viewed as a make-or-break moment. Instead, he described it as just one step in Aston Martin's ongoing development plan, with further progress still required under the current regulations.