The 2024 Formula 1 season begins this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for Saturday and Quebec's Lance Stroll appears to be in good spirits as he begins the clash with his rivals at the Sakhir circuit.
Unlike 2023, the rider will not have to deal with injuries sustained in the weeks leading up to the inaugural event; Last year he suffered broken bones in both wrists and a toe on his right foot in a fall while cycling. In addition, the new car from the Aston Martin team, the ARM24, which was introduced a few weeks ago, is supposed to be faster on the straights, but above all more reliable.
• Also read: Max Verstappen and Red Bull, big favorites of the season
• Also read: Q1: Overtake Alonso during the three days of testing
In short, the reasons to be optimistic are relevant for the man who finished 10th in the drivers' standings last year, even if no one expects him to threaten Max Verstappen, the three-time reigning F1 champion.
“We finished the last campaign strong. It's been nice these last few races: we worked hard and got good results in Brazil and Las Vegas [des cinquièmes places à chaque fois]. I trained hard and prepared well. “I’m ready to start the season,” Stroll said in an interview that aired on his team’s website Monday. The goal is to finish the year in one piece!”
As he expressed earlier this month, the 25-year-old is hoping to secure a first career win in his seventh year in Formula 1.
“We've come close a few times over the years, but not too often in the colors of Aston Martin. In 2020 I was in the lead for quite a while at the Turkish Grand Prix and last year we had an interesting series at Monza. We could have done it. “It's not easy to win in Formula 1, except that I will give everything,” he promised.
“We want to build on what we did last year. We had relied on a very solid car, but not in all areas. On some routes we were strong, on others we faced challenges. This year we want to deliver a consistent performance.”
A beginning that will speak volumes
Furthermore, Stroll's 2023 results have been a roller coaster ride. He collected 27 points in the rankings in his first four races, before collecting just 26 points in the 14 Grands Prix that followed. He saved the day a little bit with those top five finishes in Sao Paulo and Brazil at the end of the season.
Both the driver and the rest of his team say they learned from it.
“Last year we were strong in the first 5-6-7 races, then the other teams caught up with us. At the end we were back at the top, but we weren't as strong throughout the schedule as we were at the start. We hope to regularly fight for points, podium places and a first victory in green,” he said.
Free practice takes place on Thursday, qualifying follows the next day.