Speculation surrounding Lance Stroll’s future in Formula 1 has intensified, with reports now suggesting that the Canadian driver’s mother, Claire-Anne Stroll, is encouraging the 24-year-old to contemplate the possibility of ending his racing career.
Sources within the Formula 1 paddock, as reported by F1 Insider, have indicated that Claire-Anne Stroll is exerting pressure on her son to exit the sport, citing the numerous accidents he has been involved in this year.
Stroll’s recent harrowing crash during qualifying at the Singapore Grand Prix, which resulted in his inability to participate in the main race due to the severity of the impact with the barrier, further heightened concerns about his safety and performance.
The report also alludes to Lawrence Stroll, who is the owner of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, contemplating the sale of the team, citing a perceived “lack of motivation” to continue financing his son’s career.
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While Aston Martin has officially denied this claim, rumours continue to circulate amid Stroll’s struggles behind the wheel of his AMR23.
Lance Stroll’s recent outburst in the paddock at the Qatar Grand Prix thrust him into the spotlight and sparked discussions about his emotional reactions.
Despite the controversy, Aston Martin’s team principal, Mike Krack, has come to Stroll’s defence, acknowledging the pressure and emotions that come with underperforming.
“The thing is, you accumulate [when] delivering below your own expectations, and then frustration comes out at one point,” Krack explained to the media.
He drew parallels to the behaviour of athletes in other sports, stating, “You take a football player that is taken off the pitch – he doesn’t want to high five the manager or he throws the jersey or he throws the water bottles, we have seen that quite a lot.”
Krack emphasised the importance of understanding and respecting the emotions of high-level athletes.
“I think emotions are what we want from sportsmen,” he stated. “If they react, we judge them quickly – is this right?
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“Is this wrong?
“I think we need to be careful with that.
“We want to see it because then we’ll have something to talk about.”