Red Bull chief takes shots at Lance Stroll after Canadian Grand Prix
Lance Stroll has come under fire off the back of his home race in Canada, despite posting a strong result.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has debated whether or not Lance Stroll wants to be an F1 driver, calling into question the Aston Martin star’s willingness to put in the effort required to score consistently strong results.
Stroll is currently in his eighth season as an F1 driver and despite showing plenty of promise during the early stages of his career - including becoming the second-youngest podium sitter ever at 18 years and 239 days at the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - he has struggled to demonstrate the consistency required to become a top driver.
With competition for places on the grid steeper than ever, the Canadian racer’s performances have attracted even more criticism over the past two years. The 25-year-old was dominated by team-mate Fernando Alonso last year, scoring just 74 of Aston Martin’s 280 points, and the early trends are pointing towards a similar outcome in 2024.
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Discussing Stroll’s talent with Le Journal de Montreal, Marko said: “I remember his very good race leading to his podium in Baku with Williams in 2017. And I remember that he took the pole position in Turkey in 2020.
“Since then, he has had ups and downs. Very good races and other very ordinary ones. I wonder if he really wants to be a driver and if he works very hard to get good results.”
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Marko was then asked if Stroll does enough to remain on the grid. He replied: “It's difficult to say because I don't know him enough and I'm not close to him to really judge his efforts. I observed it. He has his ups and downs.”
A strong display in the wet around the streets of Montreal will earn Stroll some breathing room, but with proven race-winning talents such as Carlos Sainz and Valtteri Bottas still searching for new homes on the grid, the Canadian’s security means he will continue to be a target for criticism.
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However, despite the external pressure, Stroll still believes in his ability. Ahead of his home race, he said: “He’s a two-time World Champion and people see him as a top driver in Formula One, and it’s four-four in quali. The points are a little bit deceiving because sometimes one guy can have an engine failure.
“That sometimes differentiates the points at the end of the season. I look at my last few weekends, and I think they’ve been strong. When I look at pace right now, and speed, like I said, four-four in quali. People say he’s super good and I beat him the last few weekends, so take it as you want.”
