Lance Stroll Opens Up on His “Brutal” Final Season With Williams F1

Racing Point’s Lance Stroll has put in a number of impressive performances this season, suggesting that he isn’t just in the team because of his connections. He certainly seems to have answered his critics, having scored the team’s first-ever podium in Monza.

However, turning the clock back to two years ago, the move to Racing Point from Williams seemed to have been earned on anything but merit.

Stroll only managed a total of 6 points in 2018 compared to the 40 he accumulated in 2017. It marked the beginning of Williams F1’s dreadful decline in performance.

Appearing on the latest episode of the ‘In The Pink‘ podcast, Stroll reflects on his poor final season with the Williams F1 team.

Stroll said, “It wasn’t so much fun running around in 17th, 18th for the most of that season. We only finished in the points twice that season, maybe three times.

“But it was just brutal. We didn’t have the pace and the team was going into a bit of a downhill spiral. At that point it was, how are we getting out of here, how are we moving forward. But it was all a bit up in the air.”

Lance Stroll glad to have gotten out of Williams

For Stroll, his move to Racing Point came as a relief. Although he wasn’t sure if he would be signed by them in the first place. He said, “I wasn’t sure at the time what was going to happen with Force India/Racing Point, with my father investing in the team.

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure (with) Williams, and with where that team was headed. Maybe I would have stayed there. I don’t know. But I’m just very grateful and glad.

“I’m in a team where I’m now working with so many incredible people that are extremely motivated and committed to the big picture. It is a very exciting future ahead.”

The future is exciting indeed. Stroll will be partnering a 4-time World Champion in Sebastian Vettel next season, from whom he can learn a lot.

Being pitted against Vettel in the same machinery, Stroll can show the world that he certainly means business. If he were to outscore Vettel in the same way he did Perez, it will make people sit up and take note.

For now, however, he’ll be looking to bag his second podium of the season. With half a season more to go, Stroll would want to build on his performances and finish on a high.