Lance Stroll will make his GT3 debut on April 11 at the GT World Challenge Europe season-opener at Circuit Paul Ricard, driving the No.18 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for Comtoyou alongside Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya.
Comtoyou has entered the car in the PRO class for the Paul Ricard round. Stroll will share driving duties with Merhi and Boya in the No.18 Aston Martin. The trio forms the Belgian team’s top lineup for the opening weekend of the series.
The move comes during an enforced Formula 1 break. The Bahrain and Saudi Grands Prix were postponed, which created a gap in the early-season calendar. Stroll is using that window to race in GT3. The switch follows a recent pattern of F1 drivers sampling GT3 events when schedules allow.
Paul Ricard opens the GT World Challenge Europe season with a 59-car entry. The field brings a wide mix of brands and teams. High-profile rivals include Valentino Rossi in a WRT BMW, Mirko Bortolotti with GRT Lamborghini, Thomas Preining for Lionspeed Porsche, and Arthur Leclerc in an AF Corse Ferrari. The size of the grid sets a busy track for Stroll’s first GT3 appearance.
Stroll chose Paul Ricard over a debut at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. He will not race on the Nordschleife due to permit rules. Entering Paul Ricard offers a simpler route into GT3 competition. The French circuit provides a clear path to seat time without the licensing steps required for the German track.
This will be Stroll’s first outing in a GT3 car, but he has raced in endurance events before. He has prior experience at Daytona, which gives him a taste of multi-driver formats and long-distance racing. That background should help him adapt to shared stints and traffic management common in large GT3 grids.
His links to Aston Martin helped make the switch possible. Stroll races in Formula 1 with Aston Martin and has family ownership ties to the brand. Comtoyou runs the latest Vantage GT3, aligning the program with Stroll’s existing connections to the manufacturer. The entry keeps him active during the F1 pause while staying within the Aston Martin ecosystem.
The Comtoyou effort places Stroll in a competitive setting right away. The PRO class features full-time GT specialists and factory-backed talent. Merhi and Boya bring recent GT mileage to the car, while Stroll brings high-level single-seater experience. The combination sets a clear test against established GT drivers and major teams at the start of the season.
Paul Ricard will mark the first race day of Stroll’s GT3 chapter. The event puts him in the middle of one of the largest GT fields in Europe. It comes at a time when crossover between F1 and GT racing is growing. For Stroll, the assignment is direct. Learn the Vantage GT3, share the No.18 with Merhi and Boya, and race against names like Rossi, Bortolotti, Preining, and Leclerc in a 59-car pack.
The April 11 start at Circuit Paul Ricard begins that plan for Comtoyou and Aston Martin. The one-off entry fits the F1 schedule gap and gives Stroll immediate GT3 race mileage. It also keeps the Aston Martin driver active with a program linked to the brand. The season opener will show how fast he can translate his experience to a new car and a crowded GT3 grid.