Throughout his F1 career, Lance Stroll has faced a lot of criticism from the fans owing to his affluent background. His lackluster performances and apparent lack of interest in F1 have not helped his case either. Last year, at the 2024 Sao Paulo GP, the #18 driver once again invited controversy.
The Canadian beached his AMR24 in the gravel trap at the Interlagos Circuit after losing out in the treacherous conditions during the formation lap. Now, almost four months after that incident, fans have started trolling him again for his choice of off-season preparation.
Usually, drivers tend to undertake activities like rallying, skiing, and surfing in December when the winter break begins. By the time February unfolds, most of them start their workout regimen for the upcoming season.
But Stroll isn’t cut from the same cloth. Autosport recently posted clips of Stroll enjoying a bit of rallying in Portugal.
The discipline of rallying is famous for imbibing control in drivers because of how slippery and low-grip the gravel can be. It was enough for fans to point out Stroll’s struggles in Brazil last year when he crashed out even before the race began in similar conditions.
Lance Stroll spent his weekend rallying in Portugal
(via @LemosMotorsport) pic.twitter.com/TuD9U5cYMy
— Autosport (@autosport) February 9, 2025
However, it seems as if fans have not taken to the logic. One fan responded to Autosport’s X (formerly Twitter) post with, “He’s training for Brazil 2025.” Another fan took a jibe at the 26-year-old by writing, “Lance does love driving on gravel.”
Stroll doing rallying right now is indeed perplexing. After all, the Canadian did injure his wrists back in 2023 while cycling, just before the season was due to start in March. While he raced at the season opener in Bahrain, he wasn’t at his best, and that is usually the case, even after he has recovered completely.
Ever since his father, Lawrence Stroll took control of Aston Martin, fans have seen him as the biggest deterrent to the team’s championship ambitions. The Silverstone-based squad is openly gunning for titles in 2026 and beyond, but Stroll still retaining his seat has become the source of mockery and irony amongst the F1 fandom.
Does Lawrence Stroll need to sack his son Lance in 2025?
The Canadian business magnate has pumped in a lot of resources to build the Silverstone-based team into a championship-winning outfit. He’s already poached Adrian Newey from Red Bull, signed Honda as their exclusive works engine partner from 2026 onwards, and commissioned a state-of-the-art wind tunnel.
On paper, Aston Martin has all the ingredients to push for titles from 2026. However, fans are still not able to reconcile with the fact that Stroll Jr. is still with the team. Last year, he finished P13 in the standings whilst Fernando Alonso mustered a valiant P9 finish.
In 2023, when the AMR23 was the second-fastest car on the grid for at least the first half of the season, Alonso managed a solid P4 finish with 206 points to his name. Stroll finished the season with a paltry 74 points in comparison.
Now, with reports that Stroll Sr. has his sights set on Max Verstappen, with an audacious $1 billion paycheck [as per rumors] on offer, it is to be seen whether he will take the tough decision of giving his son the axe if he wants to accommodate two world champions on his team in 2026.
