Stepping out of the car, Lance Stroll was given a warm hug by his father Lawrence as he completed his run at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Fiston had just earned the Aston Martin team two points, while teammate Fernando Alonso added 16 more points by finishing second to the untouchable Max Verstappen.
Dad may be proud of his son and always will be, but we wonder if Lance has become a liability to an organization with big ambitions.
The Aston Martin boss even went so far as to say on Thursday, on the eve of first free practice, that a double podium at the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit was within reach. But this bold goal was not achieved.
Once again, his son did not live up to expectations, even though he is currently the second-best single-seater in the field.
“It’s better than nothing”
After another difficult qualifying, Stroll had a satisfying end to the race as he took 10th ahead of Valtteri Bottas on the final lap.
He then improved another position in the peloton by taking advantage of a penalty (unsportsmanlike conduct) imposed on Lando Norris, who finished ahead of him.
While Alonso regretted not having the means to warm up Max Verstappen, Stroll limited himself to saying that “those two points were better than nothing…”
Since entering Formula 1 seven years ago, Stroll has never had such a powerful car in his hands. Alonso proves it beyond a doubt.
But the Quebec driver is unable to fulfill the potential. His illustrious teammate’s remarkable results should be a source of motivation for him. However, this is not the case.
Six more podiums
The determination is also incontestable. The Spanish veteran has had six podiums in eight starts this season, while Stroll has none.
In the cumulative Constructors’ Championship, Aston Martin sits third thanks to Alonso, who has collected 117 of the team’s 154 points. Had Stroll contributed more, Aston Martin would have been second ahead of Mercedes.
In qualifying, Alonso only had to admit defeat to his partner once. It was a few weeks ago in Spain after the 41-year-old damaged his car on the last qualifying lap.
At Monaco, where talented drivers can make up for their car’s lack of competitiveness, Alonso qualified second while Stroll couldn’t do better than 14th.
love is blind
It is worth remembering that the two drivers have the same single-seater. This is even more true for Stroll, whose father is the boss.
In Formula 1, the main competitor is your teammate. However, there is no rivalry at Aston Martin. Alonso stands apart.
It remains to be seen if Dad’s patience has its limits. But don’t bet too much on it. Love (even paternal love) is blind.
Can you imagine for a moment that you see another pilot instead of Stroll? Name a few, but let’s quote Alex Albon. At the end of the week, the Thai stood out aboard his Willliams by finishing seventh.
One should consider that the Williams is said to be the worst car ever. But we have to admit that Albon wasn’t the worst driver to start in the Canadian Grand Prix.
ejection seats
While Stroll doesn’t have to worry about his future in Formula 1, others don’t have that job security.
On the one hand there are rumors about a possible replacement for Logan Sargeant in the Williams team already at the Austrian Grand Prix next week.
The American, who also suffers from the comparison with his team-mate, has had a difficult education in his rookie year. According to multiple sources, Mick Schumacher (current test driver at Mercedes) would be the first candidate to drive the second Williams.
On the other hand, Sergio Pérez’s recent underperformance could cost him his move to Red Bull at the end of the 2023 season.
While his team-mate Verstappen is piling up victories and making inroads into the championship, the Mexican no longer makes it into the weight.
Tell yourself that Daniel Ricciardo is on the alert, having made no secret of his intention to return as a regular next year.
The Australian received a reserve driver role at Red Bull in 2023 after losing his seat at McLaren late last season.