Harry Benjamin tells F1 team they simply have to replace 25-year-old driver

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BBC Sport commentator Harry Benjamin has told Aston Martin they have to replace Lance Stroll.

The 25-year-old Canadian was the only driver to crash during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Speaking on the Chequered Flag Podcast, Benjamin was left unconvinced after his costly error in Jeddah.

Benjamin tells Aston Martin to replace Stroll

The street circuit in Saudi Arabia has never been a happy hunting ground for Lance Stroll.

In the four races he’s taken part in there, he’s failed to score a single point.

He retired last year due to an engine issue and finished 11^th and 13^th in his first two outings in Jeddah.

The signs were there throughout the weekend that Stroll didn’t look completely comfortable.

Stroll clipped the wall during the first free practice session but managed to avoid crashing.

However, Stroll’s Aston Martin ended up in the wall during the race in Saudi Arabia and Harry Benjamin believes the time has come that he needs to be replaced.

Fernando Alonso is showing the potential that car has every weekend and finishing ahead of both Mercedes and Lando Norris is an impressive feat.

Stroll did well in Bahrain to recover to score a point after being spun in the first corner by Nico Hulkenberg.

But in a car that’s much quicker than half the grid, he needs to be doing much more than he currently is.

Stroll under pressure after Saudi Arabian GP crash

Speaking about the 25-year-old, Benjamin said: “To be quite frank, I think Stroll, they need to have somebody else in that second seat.

“He probably won’t [go anywhere] because of who owns the team, his dad, but Aston Martin at some stage and I said this last year as well, you’re going to have to take a look, you’ve got Alonso in the other car getting the absolute maximum.

“Even with a car that is not to Alonso’s liking right now, he’s still getting the maximum.

“Where did he end up in the race? He finished 5^th, 10 points bagged, Lance Stroll in the wall, the only driver in that race to clip the wall through driver error.

“He’s costing that team points, he’s costing them positions in the Constructors’ Championship and ultimately that is losing them money, any other driver, he would have been gone by now.”

As Benjamin suggests, Aston Martin replacing Stroll is far from straightforward given his father is executive chairman of the team.

However, if they wish to unlock the maximum potential of the car, they need to find someone who can close the gap to Alonso.

Carlos Sainz has been linked with the team, but at this stage, it might be more likely that he ends up replacing Alonso rather than Stroll.

The two-time champion has been tipped for a new drive with his contract expiring at the end of the year.