Stroll to start F1 Mexico GP from pitlane after parc ferme changes

Lance Stroll will start Formula 1's Mexico Grand Prix from the pitlane after parc ferme changes to his Aston Martin.

Stroll was due to start from 17th in the Mexico City race amid a dreadful weekend for Aston Martin, with team-mate Fernando Alonso only managing 13th on the grid.

Given Stroll was already due to start from the rear, Aston Martin has decided to make wholesale car changes in parc ferme, changing various elements to a different specification and tweaking the suspension set-up.

That means Stroll will have to start the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez from the pitlane.

In the FIA's decision document technical delegate Jo Bauer detailed that Aston changed the floor assembly, sidepod bodywork panels, rear beam wing, rear anti roll bar and front brake friction material as well as suspension set-up tweaks.

"All the above listed parts have been replaced with the approval of the FIA technical delegate following a written request from the team concerned, this being in accordance with Article 40.3 of the 2023 Formula One Sporting Regulations," the statement read.

"But as the above parts are different from the ones originally used and also changes have been made to the set-up of the suspension (with the approval of the FIA technical delegate following a written request), car number 18 should now be required to start from the pit lane according to Article 40.9 of the 2023 Formula One Sporting Regulations."

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team

AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda and Williams' Logan Sargeant are the two other drivers starting the race with penalties.

Tsunoda is starting from the back of the grid after taking a fifth gearbox and Honda power unit, while Sargeant was docked 10 places after passing the Japanese driver under yellow in Saturday's qualifying session.

Commenting on Aston's woes, Alonso said: “It seems that we are on the edge always on the grip. And we've been slow in every session. So it's not a bad qualifying, or anything like that.

“We have been struggling the whole weekend. So yeah, tricky. We need to work all together to get back to our best level, which is obviously not the one we are showing."