Rumours have circulated that Lance Stroll might be contemplating a transition from Formula 1 to professional tennis.
This whimsical story, which gained traction across the internet, drew humour from Stroll’s recent struggles on the F1 track this season – a reality that the Canadian racer did not shy away from acknowledging.
Stroll’s trajectory in Formula 1 has experienced a slowdown over the past few seasons, marked by infrequent standout performances.
Regrettably, this year has not proved to be an exception for the 24-year-old, especially with the formidable presence of Fernando Alonso as his teammate.
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The Spanish driver has notably excelled with Aston Martin’s AMR23 in the initial part of the season, casting a shadow on Stroll’s comparatively subdued showings.
Addressing the eyebrow-raising speculation surrounding his supposed interest in transitioning to the tennis court, Stroll responded with a hearty chuckle during the Zandvoort race weekend.
“Tennis! I heard tennis, too,” he quipped, setting the tone for his lighthearted response.
He then humorously assessed his own tennis prowess, saying, “‘If I’m going to go on tour, I better work on my backhand a little bit.
“Don’t think I’m quite at that level yet.”
Stroll acknowledged his own skills but conceded that he’s not prepared to challenge the likes of tennis champions Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz just yet.
Despite being unsure about the origin of this playful conjecture, Stroll playfully pointed toward Sky F1 commentator David Croft as the possible instigator.
“It was like Crofty or someone who came up with that,” he said, recounting a creative scenario involving Croft’s contemplations about his tennis prowess.
Recalling the amusing incident, Stroll continued, “He was having a few beers on the couch [at the] beginning of August, thinking about my tennis game.
“I don’t know! Gotta ask him.
“That was an odd one. I don’t know where he came up with that one.
“It was very creative.
“But, yeah, I haven’t really thought about it, picking up tennis as a career.”
While acknowledging that a day will come when he will reflect on life beyond Formula 1, Stroll emphasised his present focus on his upcoming races.
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With determination, he stated, “We’ll all wake up and make that decision.
“I think every driver on the grid, but no, I’m thinking about the race tomorrow.
“I want to keep racing, it’s what I love to do.”