Remember how Red Bull did this Daniel Ricciardo promotional video before this year’s Australian GP? Ricciardo had been down under after the dismal years at McLaren and Red Bull decided to revive him just before his home Grand Prix. Well, Lawrence Stroll had a similar idea as well. However, Lance Stroll rejected the idea and while doing so, disrespected a Ferrari legend. What was the idea and who was this legend?

Lance Stroll will be the only home driver racing at the Canadian GP due to be held this weekend. While Lance is famous around Canada, he’s not as popular as one might think a home hero to be. Look at his teammate Fernando Alonso, who turned the Spanish GP stand green with all the support from the locals. Nevertheless, Lawrence Stroll had an idea to increase Lance Stroll’s popularity in his own country.

Peter Windsor cited how the idea of Lance Stroll driving Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari at a track owned by Lawrence Stroll himself was pitched to the Aston Martin driver. Gilles Villeneuve despite not being a title winner, is a Ferrari legend winning 6 F1 races with the team in a short run with the team from 1978-1982. Gilles, unfortunately, crashed during the 1982 season and passed away. However, Lance Stroll disrespected the Ferrari Legend by refusing the idea suggesting he’s not a Gilles Villeneuve fan. 

According to a video uploaded by Peter Windsor on his YouTube channel, he said: “The reason I’m slightly ambivalent, more than ambivalent about Lance Stroll is that I heard, I think it was last year, that they were thinking of a way of, at Aston of trying to sort of bring Lance to the Canadian fans in a perhaps more personable way than has happened on the past.”

“And they organized, at Aston, for Lance basically to drive Gilles, one of Gilles’ Ferraris at St. Jovite, which is a circuit I think his father still owns. So, a pretty mega thing, to drive one of Gilles’ Ferraris, regardless of what it was, either a flat 12 or a TurboV6. And he didn’t do it. Why? Because ‘I’m not a Gilles Villeneuve fan’ apparently. I think if he said that, you’ve really got to think, ‘What is this guy all about?’”

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Lance Stroll giving away the opportunity to drive an old Ferrari driven by Gilles Villeneuve, that too in front of his home crowd is probably a shame. The Canadian driver has also been facing a lot of criticism for his subpar driving and having an arguably lifetime seat at Aston Martin. Nevertheless, these claims have been put to bed.

“Certainly not a bad driver”: Lance Stroll saved from the shot fired at him

Lance Stroll has been in F1 long enough to now take up the role of the No.1 driver. Look at the ones around him, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, all his age and leading the team. While Aston Martin has not made it easy for Lance by pairing him up with world champions like Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, yet his performances are nothing to write home about. Nevertheless, Dutch driver Beitske Visser made an observation suggesting how Lance Stroll did perform well in junior categories and is not only here because of his dad. 

According to F1Maximaal.nl, Beitske Visser said, “Of course, you won’t be a world champion if you’re a pancake. Alonso is certainly an extremely good driver, and Lance (Stroll, ed.) of course has his father’s advantage, but he’s also just won games in junior categories, so Lance is certainly not a bad driver either. Hopefully, his home race can help him a bit and he can achieve a good result.”

While Lance’s future may not be in danger, he will have to step up his game to back Fernando Alonso’s stellar showings. Though he would have wanted to make a special gesture for his home fans. What do you make of Lance Stroll rejecting the offer to drive Gilles Villeneuve’s Ferrari?

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