In his recent comments, Lawrence Stroll has pressured his son Lance to step up his game by securing podiums like his teammate Fernando Alonso. And the first destination to bring that momentum is Canada, the home race of the Strolls. However, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko claims the Canadian Billionaire’s ambitions are unrealistic.
Aston Martin has enjoyed a fantastic run in the 2023 seasons, securing five podiums in the first seven races of the year. However, all achievements have been contributed by the 41-year-old Alonso.
Stroll has been unable to replicate similar results from the same car largely due to his prolonged wrist injury. Though, the last outing was a bit different for him, where he managed to finish above the Spaniard for the first time this season. With that, Papa Stroll now demands his son to fight for a podium in his home race in Canada.
Helmut Marko takes a jab at Lawrence Stroll’s bold ambitions
While Lawrence Stroll expressed his desire to see his son Lance on the Canadian GP podium, he also wants Lance to outperform Fernando Alonso after beating him for the first time in the 2023 Spanish GP.
However, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was amused by Stroll’s tall claims. He remarked, “That is more than overconfident, it is unrealistic,” as reported by Krone Zeitung.
So far, Alonso has achieved 99 points of Aston Martin’s 134 total points, including all 5 podiums. Meanwhile, the Canadian driver has only contributed 35 points, with his best result being a P4 in the Australian GP.
Marko pointed out the party saying, “They have a solid car. But if you look at the points difference, you have to be honest, it’s only Alonso who is reaping the rewards. He is always good for a podium finish.”
This could be a reality check to the Canadian Billionaire who predicts his son could be on par with Alonso by the end of the season. While Aston Martin is performing well, they are far from the pace of Red Bull. And if Stroll’s prophecy to see two of his cars on the podium has to come true, then his son needs to deliver on track.
Why is Lance Stroll struggling?
Aston Martin started the season on a strong note. Fernando Alonso claimed a hattrick of P3s in the opening 3 rounds of the season. This was a great indication that the investment from Lawrence Stroll had taken the team in the right direction.
While the Spaniard tasted immediate success, his teammate Lance Stroll had a slow start. Stroll had suffered a broken wrist due to a bike injury, causing him to miss the pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The Canadian made a timely recovery for the season opener. The driver was appreciated for achieving a P6 while driving with excruciating pain and pins inserted in his wrist.
My journey. Huge thanks for your support over the last couple of weeks pic.twitter.com/0TY7v7p6rY
— Lance Stroll (@lance_stroll) March 7, 2023
Stroll has managed to secure a steady stream of points, but in comparison to Alonso, he hasn’t fulfilled AMR23’s potential. His father believes the driver needed some time to adjust to the new car.
His father said, “I think he demonstrated in Barcelona he’s now starting, it took six or seven races, to feel better. I believe they will be equal by the end of the season.”
Alonso too has been supportive of his teammate and told the Canadian driver needed some time. He believes Aston Martin needs a consistent flow of points from both cars, and Stroll is perfectly capable of doing so.
