Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll made headlines at the start of the 2023 season after he suffered multiple injuries ahead of the opening race of the campaign in Bahrain. Even though there were fears that the Canadian driver may miss the first few races of the season, he returned a month ahead of schedule. The 24-year-old has now revealed in an interview with motorsportmagazine.com that he was desperate to return as early as possible to ensure that no other driver replaces him.
Had Stroll not returned, there were rumors that Aston Martin’s reserve driver Felipe Drugovich could have replaced him. The 23-year-old Brazilian is a rising star, who has also received the highest of praises from Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack.
While recently speaking in an interview with The Athletic, the 51-year-old was asked about who he believes will be the next driver that makes it to F1. In reply, Krack said, “We have one: Felipe. Felipe Drugovich is a very, very strong driver“.
Krack then concluded his remarks by stating that he hopes that Drugovich gets an opportunity in F1 since the Brazilian is a great driver and has also won F2 previously. Therefore, since Felipe has so much promise, Stroll did not want anyone else to have a chance.
“It was never an option“: Lance Stroll on returning to Bahrain GP ahead of schedule
While speaking in a recent interview with Chris Medland via motorsportmagazine.com, Lance Stroll explained how it was never an option for him to miss the Bahrain Grand Prix. “Right away, as soon as I fell off the bike, I was like, ‘F***, yeah, I’m getting to Bahrain,” the Canadian explained.
The 24-year-old then explained why he was so eager to return early by adding, “I just knew we had a fast car. And I didn’t want to let someone else drive it“. Stroll’s early return to the F1 grid was so astonishing that his Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso also praised him.
As quoted by formulanerds.com, the Spaniard told Sky Sports, “He’s my hero (Stroll)! If you see his hands and feet, [you’d] think he wouldn’t be able to race… It’s very inspiring“.
Even though Stroll has had a difficult 2023 season so far, the Canadian surprised everyone in Bahrain by finishing sixth despite all the pain that he was suffering. The 24-year-old‘s efforts have also helped him receive praise from Aston Martin’s teammate principal Mike Krack.
Krack explains Stroll’s strengths
In the same interview with The Athletic in which Mike Krack praised Felipe Drugovich, he also had some compliments for Lance Stroll. The 51-year-old believes that the Canadian’s main strength is to drive in high-speed corners as he believes that he has not seen many drivers that have so much “courage” to drive at those speeds.
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However, he also said that Stroll at times ends up suffering because he is not able to manage his tires well. Krack then concluded his remarks by lauding the 24-year-old for his “fighting spirit” and fighting through the pain when he competed at the season opener in Bahrain. So, Krack believes it is the kind of commitment that Stroll has towards the sport that deserves the highest praise.
