Overview
- Lance Stroll will race the No. 18 Comtoyou Aston Martin Vantage GT3 at Paul Ricard with Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya in the six-hour Endurance Cup opener.
- The entry runs in the top Pro class on a 59‑car grid that features 18 Pro contenders, putting the trio straight into the headline fight.
- The plan began over dinner during the Japanese GP at Suzuka and moved fast after a brief chat with Max Verstappen on who to contact and a one‑week push by team boss Jean‑Michel Baert to add a fourth car.
- Stroll said Aston Martin’s poor F1 form this year pushed him to seek a reset in GT3, which he views as a place where a well‑executed race can still produce a win.
- The Aston Martin driver sampled the car in the pre‑event test and said he may enter more GT3 races in 2026, reflecting a wider F1‑to‑GT trend as GT3 uses production‑based cars balanced for close racing.