Lance Stroll has been in F1 for over a decade with little to show for it. The Canadian spent most of his time in the lower midfield, fighting for the occasional point — a rare occurrence at that. But it seems he may end up leaving a mark in the history of the sport, albeit indirectly.
Stroll may have inadvertently triggered one of the sport’s biggest domino effects in F1 — Max Verstappen’s possible move to Aston Martin.
In the past few years, Lance has faced heaps of criticism. At times, it’s not just because of his poor performances, but because he appears disconnected from what’s happening in the sport. Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner even called him out for being ‘invisible’, which in some ways is worse than being a driver who doesn’t score points.
Plus, there have been claims that Lance doesn’t even want to be in F1, and is only carrying on because of his dad, Lawrence Stroll. The Canadian billionaire has invested heavily in his son’s career for over two decades, ever since he started karting.
Being the primary financier in every step of Lance’s junior career, Lawrence also sponsored whichever F1 team Lance drove for. First, it was Williams. Then he acquired Force India and made Lance the focal point of the team.
Lawrence stood by his side despite poor results amid the transition to the Aston Martin name in 2021. And that’s where the prospective connection to Verstappen’s future F1 journey and title aspirations begins.
As F1 content creators Jake Boys and Fabio Bocca claimed on The Pitstop podcast, Lance is apparently the reason why Aston Martin is what it is.
In 2021, Stroll Sr. decided to pour a staggering $200 million (182 million GBP) into Aston Martin, acquiring a 16.7% stake in the company. That stake has now increased to 27.7%.
He has big ambitions not just because he dreams of winning a championship someday and bag profits out of it, but also because his son, Lance, is part of the team. He wants Lance to be there when (or if) they lift the crown.
That’s why he has also funded a brand-new facility at the team’s Silverstone base and brought in key figures like Adrian Newey, the most successful car designer in F1 history.
“Without Lance, there’d be no Aston Martin. Without Aston Martin, there’d be no Adrian Newey. Without Newey, there’d be no Max going back. So basically, Lance is the only reason any of this is happening,” Boys claimed.
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While it may be a stretch to give the #18 driver all the credit, the logic isn’t without merit. It’s unlikely Lawrence would have made such a significant financial commitment to the team if his son weren’t driving for them. Before the Canadian magnate came in, the Silverstone squad was a midfield overachiever at best.
Now, with Aston Martin poised to deliver a potential title-winning car for the 2026 season, Verstappen has been linked to a move.
Whether that materializes depends largely on how Red Bull performs in 2025. So far, their season has been shaky, plagued by balance issues in the RB21 that have left Verstappen visibly frustrated. He wants to win — and has been clear he doesn’t plan to stick around in F1 forever.
So, if Newey and the rest of the Aston Martin team can deliver a winning machine, Verstappen may well cut ties with Red Bull and switch. But if that happens, who gives up their seat — Lance or two-time world champion Fernando Alonso?
That’s a decision only Lawrence can make.
