“He’s proven many times that he’s very fast”- Sebastian Vettel defends teammate Lance Stroll on ‘pay-driver’ accusation

“He’s proven many times that he’s very fast”- Sebastian Vettel defends teammate Lance Stroll as the Canadian is often teased as a pay-driver.

Lance Stroll is stepping into yet another year in Formula 1, but his father is still financing the team wherever he is associated. That is why many believe that the privilege of Stroll is making him survive the competition.

However, Sebastian Vettel has come to rescue his new teammate and claims that the pay-driver tag is too harsh on him, as he has shown that he can perform.

He said, “As for speed, of course, I’ve never ridden next to him. So we’ll see. But I think some of the things he’s been through aren’t fair. I think he’s proven many times that he’s very fast.”

The Turkish GP pole is a testament.

While defending Stroll, Vettel points out the tough track conditions in Turkey, and Stroll picking out a pole position among all signals that he is a great driver.

“I think if you only take pole position in Turkey, then those were probably the most difficult track conditions I’ve ever had in twelve, 14, 15 years of Formula 1 have experienced.” (translated via Google Translate).

“Not only to stay on the track, but also to catch the lap, and he managed to get on the pole. So it takes a lot of talent to do that. So I think it’s going to be an exciting and challenging year for both of us.”

“But as I said, I’m happy to share everything I know, for the team and for Lance too,” concluded Vettel. This year, Aston Martin has its own aspirations, but it wouldn’t be an easy task, as the significant rise of other teams may make them fall shot by the end of the year.

However, at this moment, the team is not making any mistake, and only the test session in Bahrain will provide a clearer picture of their calibre in 2021.

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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