The world of F1 is certainly filled with emotions, a sight that Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll showed us at the Qatar Grand Prix. After a dismal qualifying at P17 on Friday, Stroll threw his steering wheel out of the car and seemed in a clip to push his personal trainer out of the way. The Canadian extended his poor form by failing to get through Q1 for the fourth time in a row.
Though his pain is understandable, his actions have sparked fury throughout the F1 world. Experts and former F1 drivers, including Nico Rosberg, criticized the horrific occurrence and labeled it “bad behavior.” However, the Aston Martin team head has now defended him, rationalizing his conduct with a questionable reason.
Mike Krack comes forward to defend Lance Stroll
In a recent interview with Soymotor, Mike Krack was seen explaining Lance Stroll’s aggressive move while highlighting the importance of considering the Canadian driver’s state during the incident. After having a smooth beginning, Lance Stroll’s performance has seen a downward trajectory. While Alonso has seven podiums and 183 points so far, Stroll has only 47 points with zero podiums etched to his name.
On top of it, his underwhelming performance has also been blamed for Aston Martin’s recent slump. In light of this, Krack has now risen to his driver’s defense, believing that one cannot judge a driver in these heated times.
He said, ” When you accumulate certain performances below who you are or below your own expectations, then that frustration comes at some point.” Later, while drawing analogies with a similar sport where aggression is seen frequently, Krack added, ” When a football player is kicked off the field, he doesn’t shake hands with the co-director or throw away the shirt, throw away the water bottles. We’ve seen it quite a bit.”
Not only has Krack gone beyond the world of F1 to describe Stroll’s passion but the Aston Martin team boss has also suggested that athletes should not suffer harsh punishment for post-anger moments. Krack provides an intriguing reason for this. According to the Luxembourger, F1 drivers and other elite athletes have high adrenaline levels, which should be appreciated rather than criticized harshly. He also calls for greater respect for drivers and other professional athletes. Krack’s recent views seem a subtle dig at Nico Rosberg’s criticism of Lance Stroll.
What was Nico Rosberg’s perspective on the situation?
Following Stroll’s miserable behavior, Nico Rosberg provided his perspective. The ex-F1 champion slammed Stroll’s conduct for scratching his $15,000,000 F1 car. In the eyes of the ex-F1 champion, the Canadian driver could have handled himself better. In his interview with Sky Sports the German said, “I mean, the behavior there was poor, that steering wheel costs more than $20,000. He scratched the top of the car by throwing it, scratched the paint, and pushed his trainer away. That’s not on, not for the mechanics, the trainer, or anybody. That’s really bad behavior.”
With his son’s awful behavior, things have become a little tricky for Lawrence Stroll, the team’s executive chairman. Given Stroll’s disappointing performance, Rosberg has expressed his thoughts on his future by unleashing some fiery shots on the 24-year-old. According to the ex-F1 driver, if it weren’t for his billionaire father, who has a say in the team, any F1 team would have replaced Lance Stroll owing to his performance disparity with Alonso.
Though on one side, Rosberg believes Stroll should be given a fair chance to improve. On the other, the German thinks because his father owns the team, Stroll does not feel the same pressure to meet the responsibilities he would complete on another team. Finally, Rosberg implies if Stroll had been on any other team and was performing this way, he might have been kicked off.
