Is Lance Stroll underrated as a driver? | Walking life

In this new episode of “Het Leven Van” we take a look at Lance Stroll. The Canadiens have been the subject of regular criticism over the years, but is it still justified? Its performance on asphalt is not without merit.

Lance was born in Montreal on October 29, 1998 and therefore rides under the Canadian flag. Good fact, he is also of Belgian nationality. It’s because of his mother. As you can tell, Lance comes from a well endowed family. He is the son of Lawrence Stroll and Claire-Ann Callens. Lawrence is a very successful businessman with considerable experience. He is of course the owner of the Aston Martin team, but also the former owner of Michael Kors, co-investor of Tommy Hilfiger and owner of the Mont-Tremblant circuit. Claire-Ann is a successful fashion designer. Lance has an older sister, Chloe.

First years in karting

You could say that Lance was brought up with a so-called golden spoon, but that is of course not immediately a reason to say that he is a rich kid, or even to drive incorrectly in Formula 1. To have a best idea of ​​that, we have to look at its performance on the asphalt. And they are really not without merit. Lance began his motorsport career in karting, where he first competed in 2008. Here he quickly took podium places in several Canadian championships. In 2010 he participated in the Florida Winter Tour, where he managed to win in the Rotax Micro Max category.

Ferrari Drivers Academy

That year, at the age of eleven, he also became the youngest driver to sign a Formula 1 contract. The great Ferrari took young Lance to the Ferrari Driver Academy. Between 2011 and 2013, he then took part in several European championships, including the CIK-FIA European and World Karting Championships. Here he finished sixth. In 2014, Lance then moved on to Formula racing, where he joined other Ferrari juniors in the Florida Winter Series. In this class he won a pole position and two podiums.

Formula 4 in Formula 3

Then it was the turn of the Italian Formula 4 championship. Here, Lance was very successful, having won the title with ten victories. In 2015 he then moved on to the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand. The same year, the 22-year-old driver returned to European Formula 3. He rode here for the Prema team, but quickly made headlines after causing crashes in Italy and Belgium. As a result, he was suspended for the last race at Spa. However, it was also an immediate turning point for the young Canadian.

He improved his demeanor and continued to score podium spots for the remainder of the season. In Germany, Lance even scored his first victory. The following year he continued to drive in Formula 3. This season, however, he dominated the class and eventually became champion with fourteen wins and 507 points.

Formula 1 debut with Williams

This is how Lance entered Formula 1 in 2016. He left the Ferrari Driver Academy and became a test driver for the Williams team. He then made his debut as a racing driver in 2017. It made a lot of noise in Formula 1, as he was accompanied by a big bag of money from Father Lawrence. The ill Williams could use a financial injection.

Lance has had a changing season and received a lot of criticism, especially when he underperformed. At the Azerbaijani Grand Prix, however, he suddenly crossed the finish line in third place, making him the youngest Formula 1 driver to ever reach the podium after Verstappen. However, he also made a lot of mistakes that year. Fair is fair, they were often unnecessary. Not particularly for a rookie per se, but because of his background, it was always considered quite heavy.

In 2018, Stroll continued to drive for Williams. That year, however, the team was far from a competitive car, so good results did not materialize. The following year, Stroll was again the subject of criticism. Father Lawrence had taken over the Force India team, which had been placed in receivership. He renamed the formation Racing Point and ceded one of the two seats to Lance. In the end, it was Esteban Ocon who had to leave and temporarily disappeared from the sport. This was not appreciated by Lance, as some thought Ocon was a much better pilot.

Last season, however, he again showed that he was indeed cut from racewood. In qualifying in Turkey, for example, he beat Max Verstappen in the pouring rain to take his first pole position in Formula 1. He was also strong on Sunday. On wet asphalt he was quickly ahead of the rest of the field and headed for victory, but the team’s questionable choice for an extra pit stop threw a wrench into the works. He finally finished eleventh in the championship.

Aston Martin

Next year, Stroll will be driving for Aston Martin. This emerged from Racing Point, after another takeover by Father Lawrence. Here he will be seated next to quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who replaces Sergio Perez. Again, there has been a lot of criticism. Many fans felt that Lance should have given way to Sergio.

Lance is therefore not the most popular driver on the grid for everyone. In itself understandable, as he probably wouldn’t have made it without his father’s money, although that can never be said for sure. However, he is not the only driver to come with a big bag of money. Watch legends such as Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher or Niki Lauda. It all started as paid pilots.

Money has a big role in Formula 1. No one can deny that. Based on the results, however, there’s no denying that Lance can actually lead well. There are drivers with better cars who have never been on the podium. And besides, let’s be honest: if you’re a crepe behind the wheel, you really don’t make it to Formula 1.

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