Outside Line: Replying to Aston Martin's response to Stroll reality check
F1 NewsFriday, 06 June 2025 at 08:00
I must be honest, I was quite surprised, taken aback, when an email from Aston Martin dropped into my mailbox within hours of my Outside Line piece going live to kick off Tuesday morning.
[We keep the author of the email nameless, as this is not directed at them at all.]
This is what was written by Aston Martin in response to the Living Daddy's F1 Dream piece:
“I don’t like kicking someone when they’re down” – that is however, exactly what you’re trying to achieve with your article, which seems to be a one-sided opinion and neglecting important facts.
"What your article completely disregards is the fact that up until the Spanish GP, it was down to Lance scoring all 14 points Aston Martin Aramco F1 team held so far this season, as well as being in the Top 10 of the driver standings up until recently, currently in P12. Lance was also the only driver who managed to overtake another car atthe Monaco GP post lap 1.
"We would have appreciated if you’re article had included some of these facts, rather than being solely based on some very strong personal opinions."
I pondered this with our WhatsApp group. Do we react to this? Seriously? I do not want to sound condescending, but was this fired off by a PR intern doing low-level damage control for Stroll junior? How do you even reply to their response?
My thoughts on Lance Stroll over the years have been pretty consistent
I’ll reiterate: back in his early days, Lance showed promise. He had a very solid rookie season with Williams, but it has to be said that he never really got much better. Maybe during the days of the Pink Mercedes, he showed flashes of that promise again.
I always believed he was a pretty good driver when attrition was high. He had bursts of speed. But he was inconsistent then, and he remains inconsistent now. He is no longer, by far, the driver he once was. We are nine years into his Formula 1 career, and I am not alone in saying this. Stroll Junior is not evolving. He is not developing. He is not going to develop anymore. He is just done.
Honestly, I nearly decided to ignore the Aston Martin response because I did not see the point of it. But there was a niggle. A stone in my shoe, as they say.
And this is it. I have to take offence on behalf of Fernando Alonso. And I’ll put it out there: I am not a fan of Fernando in the same way I am of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, Gilles Villeneuve, and others. But much like with Michael Schumacher, I have immense respect for Alonso. He is, in my view, probably the unluckiest driver on the current grid. He should have been a three-, four-, maybe even five-time Formula 1 World Champion.
Is it not disrespectful to compare Stroll to Alonso?
Sure, decisions and circumstances were unkind to him, but double F1 world champ Alonso was three times a runner-up in the top flight. Nevertheless, he is also a two-time Le Mans winner, a WEC World Champion, and an Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. All achieved in less than a decade.
So I have to ask: why does Aston Martin have the audacity to compare a 26-year-old Stroll, with everything still to prove, to a 43-year-old Alonso, with nothing left to prove? A Formula 1 legend, whether you like him or not. The Spaniard’s legacy is being undermined in an effort to hype up what Stroll supposedly is now, relative to Alonso.
Fernando Alonso in Version 2025, at 43 years old, remains one of the wiliest, gutsiest, and fastest drivers in race conditions. When he has the right car under him and is in the mood, he delivers. We have seen it before. When Aston Martin briefly had a very good car, Alonso took it to the podium on eight occasions. Something Stroll never managed during that same period, whether because of injury, sitting out pre-season, or whatever the excuse.
But of course, the Alonso of today is not the same Alonso of Version 2005 or Version 2006. Back then, he was the real deal, not only when it suited him, but in every session from FP1 through FP3, Qualifying to the race. He was the Max Verstappen of his time. The Lewis Hamilton before Lewis Hamilton. A complete package.
Stroll's benchmark is Max Verstappen
If Stroll had been Alonso’s teammate back then, he would have been annihilated. Absolutely destroyed. Now, twenty years later, it is not fair play to use the veteran as the benchmark for a driver whose generation is measured by the barometer that is Max Verstappen. And the elite group nipping at his heels that includes Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc.
Stroll is not at that level. In fact, I would argue he is not even on the level of journeymen like Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, or Nico Hülkenberg. And I will go a step further and say that most of the current rookies are going to be better than him, too.
If he were doing a proper job for a future F1 talent, he would be hammering Alonso. If he were doing an okay job, he would at least be as fast as Fernando. But he is not. He is nowhere near the Spaniard, even now, in the sunset of his incredible career.
A stat I neglected to use in the original piece is that Stroll is the driver with the most Q1 eliminations in Formula 1 history - 75 exits in the first stanza of Qualifying in 173 sessions. That is a 43% miss rate. The prosecution rests.
Dear Lawrence Stroll please join us on 2 Soft Compounds podcast
So, in response to their response, I’ll just send this link to Aston Martin and hope the case is closed. Because in my opinion - and yes, this is an opinion - after nine years of following his career, studying it, I stand by what I said in my original piece and on our latest podcast: Lance Stroll does not deserve a Formula 1 seat anymore. End of story.
Finally, to really put this whole saga to bed, here is an open invitation: if anyone at Aston Martin believes I am wrong and can show me the light. Prove Lance is not the spoilt brat I described in my Daddy's F1 Dream piece, and that he is actually a gritty, elite-level driver who is simply misunderstood by many - we have our 2 Soft Compounds podcast, where Rick and I would gladly welcome your presence.
And if I had a choice of who I would enjoy hosting on the podcast first? It would be Lawrence Stroll, of course. Next, Lance. And if none of the above, then anyone from Aston Martin is welcome to join us for as long as it takes.
Let’s have the conversation. Let’s discuss this incredible Aston Martin project and Lance Stroll’s role in it. Bring receipts, because we have many to audit with you. Maybe we will all learn something.
Big Question: When last did Lance Stroll throw a tantrum (or throw a helmet) at a race track?
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