It was probably foreseeable that the worst deal for Lawrence Stroll, the Canadian tycoon who founded a fashion empire worth nearly €3 billion, would be the result of an emotional attachment. And there are few bonds stronger than that of a child. In this case it is Lance, Fernando Alonso’s partner at Aston Martin, which has been in the hands of a consortium led by his father since 2020.
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Although he is only 24 years old, the Quebec-born rider already has some experience in the world championship: this will be his seventh full season. Without a doubt the most difficult of all, if we take into account the gap that has arisen between his performance and that of his workshop neighbor, who, before starting his new adventure after leaving Alpine, gave himself up to a potential that few have witnessed : “With Lance, the team has a super young, super talented driver with the possibility of becoming world champion,” Alonso said in an interview conducted in preseason and published on his team’s website.
The Silverstone (UK) car’s competitiveness has stagnated since the halfway point of the course, but that has only increased the contrast between Alonso and Stroll. The first is in fourth place in the overall table with 183 points and seven podium places. The second has not yet climbed into the penalty area and the 47 points he has collected are almost a quarter of those that Alonso has.
The technicians’ analysis of the construction of the green prototypes puts the difference between the two at three tenths per lap. Even in qualifying, which best reflects pure speed, the balance is clearly in the Spaniard’s favor, who outscores him 16 to 2 on the two starting positions. While Stroll only managed to sneak into the third qualifying round (Q3) seven out of 18 possible times, the two-time world champion took part in all but one with Renault (2005 and 2006). This was clearly seen outside the event held this Friday in Austin, where the slowdown of the AMR23 was clearly visible. This Sunday (9:00 p.m., DAZN), the man from Oviedo starts in 17th place, his workshop neighbor in 19th place, both far from Charles Leclerc’s pole, third for the Ferrari driver and fourth for Carlos Sainz.
The universe that separates the two runners is very difficult to bear for Stroll, who has already uttered several rudenesses and outbursts that confirm the bad mood he carries within him. The final scene occurred on Friday in Qatar when he was in 17th place at the start of the sprint test that was due to take place a few hours later. Still in the car, already back in the workshop, the Aston Martin owner’s son removed the steering wheel and threw it out of the cabin before getting out and making his way to the back of the garage. There he met Henry Howe, his personal trainer, who tried to convince him that he had to go to the International Automobile Federation (FIA) pits to undergo the routine weigh-in. Stroll shook him off with a jab that triggered an avalanche of criticism of the pilot on social networks. “I hate having crappy days. “That won’t change,” said the boy, unable to find a way to adjust to a car that seems to have lost its balance lately.
Such was the excitement that the FIA even opened an investigation to determine whether Stroll’s reaction had violated Article 12.2.1 of the championship’s sporting code, which relates to the conduct of drivers during the Grand Prix, which does not apply to any In this case, “the interests of any competition or automotive specialties in general may be harmed.”
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On the Friday after the incident in Losail, the pilot was officially reprimanded and asked for forgiveness in a letter from the organization. “The Office of Regulatory Compliance acknowledges the apology received and has issued a written warning reminding Lance of his responsibilities,” the statement said. “The FIA takes a position of zero tolerance towards misconduct and condemns any action that could involve physical harassment,” he stressed.
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