In the past, Lance Stroll has been often termed as one of Formula 1’s most underrated drivers. But in 2023, it would seem as though the blinders are finally off. The Canadian has suffered a woeful season so far in the AMR23 when you compare the relative rank of Aston Martin’s 2023 challenger on the grid and Stroll’s results. Naturally, fingers are being pointed at the 24-year-old and his motivation. Many experts believe that Stroll Jr. may have fallen out of love with this sport. Be that as it may, with Stroll’s credibility in the doldrums, his father, Lawrence Stroll, has now decided to wash Aston Martin off his hands for a reported sum of $800,000,000, per F1-insider.com.
If Lawrence Stroll is to sell, the most likely destination for the iconic British team is being cited as Saudi Arabia, and more particularly the Saudi state fund. It’s no secret that Saudi Arabia is eyeing to expand its grip on the wider sporting industry. The Saudi state fund was established for this very reason. What’s more? The state’s national oil company, Aramco also happens to be Aston Martin’s title sponsor. As such, the negotiations will be smoothed out and helmed by them.
These reports are just early inklings of a deal. Many believe that Stroll Sr. might have reached his wit’s end trying to secure a future in the sport for his son. Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily in F1 teams before. And every time it was with the motive of securing a seat for his son. But with Lance Stroll now looking out of shape in 2023, his father seemingly cannot justify the fiscal ramifications of a dwindling F1 career. What makes Aston Martin’s sale even more credible is the fact that this isn’t the first time Stroll Sr. has looked to offload the team. Earlier this year, it looked very probable that the team was heading into the hands of Chinese automobile manufacturer, Geely. This came after Geely bought a substantial stake in the team.
The curious case of Lance Stroll at Aston Martin
For fans who have followed the Canadian’s career, 2023 would come as a relative shock. Last year could have been termed as one of Stroll’s strongest performances as he pretty much matched Sebastian Vettel. However, with Fernando Alonso’s meteoric arrival this year, the Spaniard has seemingly exposed quite a few chinks in Stroll’s armory.
But the Stroll family potentially leaving F1 for good is touted to be motivated by more than just pure numbers. The 24-year-old’s mother, Claire-Anne Stroll is lobbying for her son to hang up his racing helmet amid safety concerns. And her case has gotten stronger after the massive crash Stroll suffered during Qualifying at the Singapore GP. The 50g meeting with the barriers even forced the Canadian to sit out from the race on Sunday.
Lawrence Stroll has devoted everything in his capacity to ensure Lance got to F1. He even bought him a karting track! In F1, Stroll Sr. has cherry picked teams to buy. This was with the sole intention to allow Lance to focus on racing rather than securing a seat. But money can get you only so far, as ex-F1 legend, Gehard Berger explained the predicament Stroll finds himself in now.
He said, “Sebastian Vettel was no longer really motivated. He was already in the comfort zone when he drove with Stroll at Aston Martin and only did the bare minimum. Alonso, along with Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, is one of the few great champions who don’t need encouragement from teammates to always deliver their maximum performance. Lance Stroll is now feeling this. Although he’s not a bad racing driver.”
How 2023 has showcased Lance Stroll’s dying love for F1
Seven years at the pinnacle of motorsport and Lance Stroll has 137 Grands Prix, 3 podiums and a pole position to show for it. But with age still on his side, the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix pole-sitter seems to have fallen out of love with F1.
An anonymous insider said, “Father and son once came to our factory to look at it: I have never seen such an interested father and such a disinterested son,” while recalling an anecdote that captures Stroll’s motivation at the moment.
In the end it all boils down to the results. The stopwatch never lies. In Lance Stroll’s case, the disparity between him and Fernando Alonso is alarming to say the least. Currently, Alonso is 4th in the driver’s standing with 174 points while Stroll sits in 10th with 47 points.
