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.
 
Il_leone

Given Paddy Lowe has taken charge of the technical side at Williams, I could see them being a force to be reckoned with next season; Alonso could be willing to take a place there - particularly if, as you say, they offer him a number 1 seat.

We know, for instance, that Button was offered a drive at Williams for 2017...
 
Massa has had two DNF's in the last two races and Stroll was about 0.3 sec. per lap slower than Massa today.
Let's not get overly excited.
 
Stroll did outqualify Massa though so if he starts building this momentum I think Williams need to make sure they have a stronger driver pairing than the one now
 
delighted Stroll held on for that podium. i was willing him on in those final laps. well documented it been tough start to his career but i thought he drove brilliantly not just today but all weekend. as i cant think of another driver that had a clean weekend alongside him. this dangerous liability was keeping his head while everyone else was losing theres
 
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delighted Stroll held on for that podium. i was willing him on in those final laps. well documented it been tough start to his career but i thought he drove brilliantly not just today but all weekend. as i cant think of another driver that had a clean weekend alongside him. this dangerous liability was keeping his head while everyone else was losing theres
He hasn't crashed in Monaco (apart from FP1), Canada and Azerbaijan must give credit were credits due. Those are not easy tracks and he's handled it brilliantly.
 
Greenlantern101 I was thinking about you saying that as I was watching the race.

Good job Lance. A true Johnny Herbert impression - head down and let the others make he mistakes.

Also good sign of a racer that his first reaction was to be gutted Bottas got him on the line.
 
The whole thing reads as a total self-justification of a narcissist. Rather than commenting on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it was more a case of Jacques Villeneuve on why Jacques Villeneuve was right all along, and why absolutely no-one can accuse Jacques Villeneuve of being wrong.

I say we lock him and Eddie Irvine in a room somewhere where they can be 'outspoken' at each other ad infinitum.
 
Its funny how Jacques Villeneuve can be so critical given he got his chance in f1 because Bernie wanted to use his Dad's name to market the sport and the only to do that was to get him in top car :whistle:
 
The whole thing reads as a total self-justification of a narcissist. Rather than commenting on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it was more a case of Jacques Villeneuve on why Jacques Villeneuve was right all along, and why absolutely no-one can accuse Jacques Villeneuve of being wrong.

I say we lock him and Eddie Irvine in a room somewhere where they can be 'outspoken' at each other ad infinitum.
Don't forget to lock Fernando Webber into the room... can't believe how obnoxious he has become since becoming a reporter...
 
Lance Stroll is the youngest driver ever ever to start on for front row of the grid ever. This also makes him the youngest driver ever to have the shortest walk to the national anthems, the youngest driver ever to climb into his car on 2ND place on the grid and the youngest driver ever to be interviewed having qualified 2ND on the grid.

F1 likes to make a big deal of records now days.

Anyways well done on a pretty good weekend at Monza to Lance (it did go a bit Pete tong when he flat spotted those tyres near the end)
 
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