Lance Stroll will compete in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup opener at Paul Ricard this weekend, driving for Comtoyou Racing alongside Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya. The Aston Martin F1 driver cited his team's poor start to the season as a factor in the surprise outing. Stroll sees a real chance for victory in the more open GT3 field.
Lance Stroll, the Canadian Aston Martin Formula 1 driver, is set to make a rare sportscar appearance at Paul Ricard in France. He will pilot a Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in the Pro class of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup's opening round of 2026. This marks his third major endurance outing, following two stints at the Daytona 24 Hours in the 2010s. The entry fills an unexpected gap in the F1 calendar after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds, creating a five-week break. Stroll organized the deal in about a week with Comtoyou owner Jean-Michel Baert, an idea sparked during dinners at the Japanese Grand Prix on March 27-29. Aston Martin's F1 season has been dismal, with Stroll yet to finish a race classified across the first three rounds and teammate Fernando Alonso scoreless. The team struggles with performance, reliability, and a vibration-plagued Honda power unit, despite investments and Adrian Newey's signing. 'This year we don’t have a very competitive car,' Stroll said. 'It was an idea to change things up a bit - a different mindset during the break.' In the 59-car field with 18 Pro entries, Stroll believes victory is possible. 'In Formula 1, you don’t always have the opportunity to win. Here... if everything comes together... winning is possible,' he explained. Stroll discussed GT plans with Max Verstappen at Suzuka and expressed openness to more such races if he feels good physically and mentally.
