Szafnauer: Stroll very quick in testing and in the simulator

Young Stroll's tale of woe last year with Williams is well told, as is how his billionaire father Lawrence Stroll saved the sinking ship that was Force India to turn it into Racing Point, a platform for his son to shine in Formula 1.

A horrid season with Williams was not on the script for the Strolls, hence the script needed to be changed and it finally was when young Lance lowered himself into a pink car for the first time on the first day of the test at Yas Marina, taking over the VJM11 from teammate Sergio Perez who did the morning session.

During his first afternoon in the cockpit, Stroll was soon comfortable and managed 56 laps in an unfamiliar car. By the end of the day he was third fastest, quicker than Perez and a whopping 1.8 seconds faster than the best effort by either Williams drivers on the day.

On the final day of the two-day test, Stroll racked up 122 laps and again ended the day third quickest, this time eight tenths up on George Russell, fastest of the Williams duo in action on the day. The 20-year-old was excused a spring in his step when he departed Yas island that evening.

Speaking on Beyond the Grid F1 podcast, Szafnauer - retained by Stroll senior as team principal - revealed, "Lance absolutely loved his time in the car, he said the car can do the things he wants a car to do which is good, we were duly impressed with Lance."

"We were already impressed with him when he ran in the simulator. He was on the pace very quickly, up to Esteban's [Ocon] level in the simulator."

"We were just hoping the pace that he showed in the simulator would translate onto the race track and it did. He was very quick on track too."

"So we've got some good potential there in Lance, we'll work with him to hopefully teach him some things we know about how to drive the tyre, how to preserve it and how to make it go quick and last over the stints and we'll do that with him, help him qualify better too."

"But he brings some great skills, he's quick, he usually does a great job at the start and over the first lap, he usually makes up places, so we look forward to working with him," added Szafnauer.

Perez also rates his new teammate, "The kid definitely has talent. He’s been on the podium, when it’s wet, he’s always up there, and I think he’s coming to a great team with one of the best engineers in the world. I think he will be in great hands to deliver his full potential."

https://www.grandprix247.com/2018/11/30/lawrence-stroll-hopefully-we-can-fight-for-that-third-place/