As the son of Aston Martin’s owner Lawrence Stroll, you would think Lance Stroll has a permanent seat in Formula 1 for as long as his billionaire father is affiliated with the sport. While that has been the case since Stroll Jr. joined F1 in 2017, his performances have come under intense scrutiny this season, especially considering how well his teammate, Fernando Alonso has been doing. With a car capable of achieving good results, Stroll hasn’t managed to do much, and there have been rumors about his possible sacking.
Weird, right? Could it be that Stroll Sr. would fire his own son if his performances don’t pick up? As per F1 commentator David Croft, “Lance just doesn’t seem to be as motivated as he was at the start of the season. I just have a little feeling that in a year and a half’s time, Lance Stroll will race his last race in Formula 1.” Despite all the noise surrounding him, Stroll believes he still has a lot to prove but has accepted one thing no one can deny.
Lance Stroll gives credit where credit’s due
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To put into perspective how far behind Stroll has been compared to Alonso, of the 196 points Aston Martin has scored so far, Stroll has contributed only 47 of them. Over and above that, Alonso has achieved six podiums, and Stroll’s best result has been one P4. It’s no secret—even to him—that the Spaniard has been the better driver. While acknowledging Alonso’s superiority, Stroll revealed how he could get better results.
🗣️💥| Lance Stroll: "Fernando is generally faster than me"
👉“Fernando just been at a really high level throughout the whole season, and delivering that kind of A-plus kind of performance every week."
👉"He’s made very few mistakes – no mistakes – and you have to give him… pic.twitter.com/LQO5ens3yB
— Aston Martin Formula 1 News (@AMF1News) August 16, 2023
In an interview with F1 journalist Chris Medland, as quoted by Motorsportmagazine.com, Stroll said, “I think if we have clean weekends, the results will be better. That’s what I honestly believe, but also just getting more out of the car and driving a bit faster because right now, Fernando has generally been faster than me. So I have to figure out how to go a little bit faster around the corners.” The fact that Alonso is one of only three drivers who’s scored points in every race this season is a testament to how consistent he’s been.
Stroll continued, “Fernando has just been at a really high level throughout the whole season and delivering that kind of A-plus kind of performance every week. He’s made very few mistakes – no mistakes – and you have to give him credit for that because he’s been driving at an extremely high level and really getting the most out of the car every week.”Needless to say, Stroll has things to learn from his veteran teammate, who’s been helping Stroll out as much as he can.
Fernando Alonso has been like a big brother to Lance Stroll this season
Aston Martin has brought out a new side to Alonso this season. He’s usually known as the cutthroat driver who would do anything to get the upper hand on his rivals. Considering his main rival is his teammate, no one would have expected him to join Aston and help Stroll as much as he has. When Motorsport.com asked him about this, he said, “I know that I will be in the sport for a few more years, but not many, and he will lead the team for the next 10 or 15 years. So I hope I can help Lance as much as I can in the next few years.”
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Fernando Alonso giving Lance Stroll braking advice, before Stroll almost loses the car under braking 😅 pic.twitter.com/DQWkv1nOe6
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) April 30, 2023
Although he’s mentoring Stroll, he revealed there might come a time when he won’t be this friendly with his young teammate. On the Chequered Flag Podcast, he said, “I’m happy to help but I don’t think there is much more mystery on this. We have a good relationship now. If we were fighting for the championship, maybe there would be less communication or a bit more tension between the team or the drivers.”
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Can Alonso’s mentorship help Lance Stroll pick up his form and maybe lead the team in a few years?
WATCH THIS STORY | Is Lance Stroll Holding Back Aston Martin F1?