Lance Stroll has told those who question his abilities as a Formula 1 driver to take notice of his results on the track.
The 25-year-old is embarking on his eight season as an F1 driver. It is his sixth with Aston Martin, which is owned by his father Lawrence.
Last year Stroll scored 74 points and finished 10th in the championship. Team mate Fernando Alonso out-scored him by a rate of almost three to one and ended the year fourth in the standings.
However Stroll said he pays no heed to those who suggest he owes his place in F1 to his father’s backing, and question whether he deserves a seat on merit.
“Everyone has their opinion, but I do my talking on the track,” Stroll told the team’s official website.
“I’ve had an incredible journey with my father in motorsport. From go-karting days, through the junior formulas and today in Formula 1, what we’ve accomplished together has been amazing.
“His vision and passion for the sport, for Aston Martin, is really incredible; it’s super-exciting to be a part of it and to see how much we’ve already grown as a team over the last four years. And the future is even more exciting.”
Stroll’s start to 2023 was compromised when he injured his wrists in a cycling accident. The team’s form dipped at mid-season, but Stroll ended the year in better shape, taking a pair of fifth places in Brazil and Las Vegas.
“We finished off the season strong,” he said. “It was fun to have those last few races, really kicking butt – having some good results in Brazil and Vegas. I’ve trained hard and prepared well. I’m ready for the season to start in Bahrain.”
He said the team needs to perform more consistently across a range of different circuits this season.
“We want to build on last year,” he said. “We had a very strong car last year – but not everywhere. It was very strong at certain tracks and then at other tracks, we faced some challenges. We want to perform consistently well this year.
“Last year, we came out really strong for the first five, six, seven races and then other teams caught up. We came back strong at the end, but we weren’t as strong throughout the season as we were at the beginning, so we want to consistently fight for good points, podiums, and a first win in green.”
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Formula 1
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