“He Was the Bad Guy”: Lance Stroll Reveals His Sour Perception Toward Future Teammate Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso will join Aston Martin after his current contract expires with Alpine. The Spaniard, who has won two World Championships, will partner with Canadian Lance Stroll. Interestingly, Stroll revealed how he had a sour perception of his future teammate in his childhood.

Lance Stroll was just a kid when Fernando Alonso won his first World Championship in 2005. Lance compared Stroll to ‘one of the bad guys’ in the movies. The Spaniard stopped Michael Schumacher from winning his record eighth title, making Alonso the villain in Stroll’s eyes.

Stroll said, “I watched [Fernando] on TV in 2004, 2005, 2006 – when he won his titles and was fighting against [Michael] Schumacher.”

He further added, “I was a fan of Schumacher. [Alonso] was the bad guy in my eyes! I was six years old and he was the bad guy, like in the movies. But he was always super-exciting to watch. And he still is. He’s one of the best drivers. He’s still very lively at around 42 years old (Alonso will be 42 next July).”

Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid whereas Lance is one of the youngest drivers. Stroll joked about having the opportunity to race alongside Fernando after he watched him compete for the World Title against his childhood hero, Michael Schumacher.

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Stroll currently partners with another multiple World Champion, Sebastian Vettel. The Canadian has been performing at a high level against his teammate. Sadly, Aston Martin had to retire both their cars in the Italian GP.

Lance Stroll might surprise incoming Fernando Alonso

Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack believes that Lance Stroll is massively underrated in the paddock. Mike believes his performances against Vettel have not been noticed enough, and that Stroll can surprise the incoming Fernando Alonso.

Mike Krack said, “People underestimate how good Lance is – they think he’s only here because his father owns the team and put him in the car. But you don’t do as well as he has against a four-time World Champion by accident.”

He further added that it was important to take the fact into consideration that he has never had an ‘F1 winning car’ yet.

Krack added, “When Sebastian joined the team, people were saying Lance had no chance, but Lance has performed incredibly well against a four-time World Champion – they’ve been closely matched. People are saying the same thing now that Fernando is joining the team, but let’s wait and see. Lance might just surprise a few people.”

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Aston Martin has been very disappointing this year. The new sets of rules have not helped them at all and they find themselves struggling in the ninth position. However, with the arrival of Fernando Alonso, they will be hoping for a better car and chance next season. Can Aston Martin turn their slump around?