Current Lance Stroll

He only signed for Williams a few days ago but there has already been a large amount of discussion about Lance Stroll. It was suggested he needed his own thread so here it is.

Lance Stroll first came on to my own radar when watching the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand during Jan 2015. Often used as a warm-up for young talent pre-season to get them used to proper car racing its always close racing. Lance was the tender age of 16 and part of the Ferrari young driver program. He was also massively impressive with 10 podiums (4 wins) from 16 races in a car he'd hardly driven and tracks he'd never raced on. He was the eventual champion and I mentally stored him as someone to watch out for. From the Toyota series he went straight into European F3 for the 2015 series and unfortunately I felt like he was dwarfed somewhat by the rest of the field who had more experience than him. He was going up against the likes of Felix Rosenquist, Antonio Giovanazzi and Charles LeClerc who were all older and looked far more impressive. Looking back on it though he didn't actually do too bad. One win, 4 podiums and 5th in the championship is not bad for a 16 year old, also if you look at his results he got stronger and stronger as the season went on which was a sure sign he was learning.

2016 saw Lance take it up a step, he has clearly been dominant in the F3 series and has 14 wins and the title with the series not even being finished yet. It was during this year that I learned something new about Lance. I learnt his father was a billionaire. Why did I learn this? Well he was suddenly being connected to the Williams F1 race seat, apparently due to his father investing heavily in the team. This appears to have been met with considerable vitriol from some quarters who are suggesting he is buying his way into F1 and doesn't deserve the seat. Stroll turned 18 on the 28th October which meant the Martini sponsored Williams team could finally announce him as a driver and within days there were already people writing about nepotism and putting $ in the spelling of his name. All this before he's even turned a wheel. Its a bit of a shame really that a driver who has been so utterly dominant of a highly rated junior series should be labelled a 'pay-driver'. The same people have probably spent the last few years moaning about Williams conservative driver choice in the form of Massa, so you think the promotion of an 18 year old F3 champion would be warmly welcomed.

On the driving front its really hard to know what to expect from Stroll in 2017 due to the fact that we have no idea where the Williams car will be. I have a horrible feeling that Williams are a team in decline and that Stroll is going to suffer for it. I also don't think he'll be quick straight out of the blocks either, which might give the haters an excuse. Stroll's pattern over the last two years is to be paired with a more experienced team mate and gradually learn the ropes and start to shine later in the year. I expect this to be repeated and for him to be out done by Bottas until at least the summer break. I wouldn't be surprised to see him start to get on level terms from then on it. Lets face it, Bottas comes highly rated so if he starts to beat him he's going to gain some kudos.

Lastly I think its great for F1 to have a Canadian back on the grid (Robert Wickens should have got a seat a while back by the way) as its a country that loves the sport and it'll be great for them to have someone to cheer on.
 
.......putting $ in the spelling of his name. All this before he's even turned a wheel. Its a bit of a shame really that a driver who has been so utterly dominant of a highly rated junior series should be labelled a 'pay-driver'.
Stroll is a pay-driver, which is not a statement on his abilities and thus must not be construed with a negative attitude or comment towards him.

He has been dominant and he has had advantages such as his own F3 simulator in the Williams factory and his father investing heavily in the team 'Prema' which he raced for last season. No other driver in the past and present has had such opportunities like Stroll. In preparation for 2017 he will be provided with the FW36 and two brand new Mercedes engines for preparation purposes.

These facts must not be forgotten and they certainly gave him an advantage over his competitors.
 
I've got a gut feeling that Lance will be in F1 for a very long time. I suspect he is part of the next generation coming through along with Max and Carlos.
 
No other driver in the past and present has had such opportunities like Stroll

That's a pretty big statement. Are you aware of the training access facilities of every current junior formula driver? and also every driver who has ever come through junior formula ever? Lance Stroll by no means has the richest Daddy ever and certainly is not the first to run in a team they or their family own.

Can you tell me how much access F1 junior drivers get to simulator time? I would like to know the hours clocked up if you could provide them. Also the training routine of every F3 driver please.
 
I'm sure that as a McLaren and Ron Dennis protege, a certain L Hamilton had extensive access to specialist support and facilities (including cars and simulators) on his path into F1...
 
I watched a movie called Rush the other day. You might have heard of it. There were two drivers in that, one who invested in a team to get on the grid and another who got there by being funded by a Billionaire. The film had the audacity to suggest these two 'pay drivers' were two of the best talents of their era.

Pure bloody Fiction eh? ;)
 
Well one driver on the current grid didn't just have a team created for him to get into motorsport but had a whole racing series. I jest but Jolyon cut his teeth in daddy's racing series.

I know nothing about Lance Stroll and don't really care that much about how he got to where he is. Unfortunately there have always been much faster, less well funded drivers in the lower formulae who haven't made it in to the top echelons of motor racing. There were also a couple of blokes called Senna who ultimately got into F1 on the back of family money. One of them was quite good, if I recall.

I hope he either reinvigorates Bottas or kick his arse so that he moves on the endurance racing or DTM. For someone who has been built up by those "in the know" in F1 Valteri has been less than stellar recently so maybe this young pup will remind him what he is supposed to be doing in a F1 car.
 
Williams have very much lost their way this year both fron a drivers and a chassis point of view.

Hopefully, young, fresh talent can give the whole team a lift.
 
Saying a driver's chances of becoming WDC are slim is not exactly a put-down, it's a fact. In Lance's, albeit brief lifetime, there has been just 7 such individuals to capture the crown with hundreds having tried.

I wish him well.
 
5 of them are still racing as well.

We think they've had long careers but potentially Stroll could prob carry on racing until 2034. My unborn child would be able to drink at his retirement do or even race against him if they have talent and I get three jobs!.

Mental.
 
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That's a pretty big statement. Are you aware of the training access facilities of every current junior formula driver? and also every driver who has ever come through junior formula ever? Lance Stroll by no means has the richest Daddy ever and certainly is not the first to run in a team they or their family own.
That his father isn't the richest ever is not relevant in this discussion. The amount of his investment in his sons career however is of relevance. Thus, he has enjoyed far more opportunities than any other driver, considering that he father invested heavily into the F3 team.

Can you tell me how much access F1 junior drivers get to simulator time? I would like to know the hours clocked up if you could provide them. Also the training routine of every F3 driver please.
Again, the time spent in the simulator is not the most relevant point here. The fact, that he has his own simulator in the WIlliams factory is of relevance as he can use it whenever he likes without having to consider the other drivers, as they use the older model. Therefore, he has an advantage by having "unlimited" access to the training device.
 
Why as a matter of interest have Williams given him factory space for a training device they can't use ? Do they charge him rent. Lots and lots of rent?
 
Also how has he got a 2017 simulator so quickly? Williams haven't built the car yet and the rules were only decided a couple of months ago.

That his father isn't the richest ever is not relevant in this discussion. The amount of his investment in his sons career however is of relevance. Thus, he has enjoyed far more opportunities than any other driver, considering that he father invested heavily into the F3 team

Again I ask. Please tell me the amount of investment of the fathers of F3 drivers past and present as well as their access to F1 simulators/track time? This is all a load of nonsense really. When Carlos Sainz came into F1 he'd been with the Red Bull junior programme for over 3 years. He'd done numerous track days and used the simulator regularly for nearly all that period. Yet your trying to tell me Stroll comes in better prepared? and the most prepared ever? like better prepared than drivers in the past that have spent hours and hours testing?

Nah. You've just got an anti-money thing going on.
 
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