Although 2023 was not an easy year for Lance Stroll, he never lost faith in himself – How the Aston Martin driver found his way out of his slump
Lance Stroll says he never doubted himself despite a difficult 2023 Formula 1 season. The Canadian was clearly beaten by his Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso: while the latter took eight podium finishes, Stroll’s best result was a fourth place in Australia
He struggled to get to grips with the AMR23 for most of the year, but ended the season on a high – with solid fifth places in Brazil and Las Vegas. Those late results, he said, were down to feeling more comfortable after making some changes to the car.
“I knew that if I felt like the platform was working well underneath me and I could drive the car freely without having to deal with things that were bothering me on the car, then I would be at a good level and get the best out of myself,” the Aston Martin driver emphasized.
“For a few months after we made changes, there were weekends when I just didn’t feel free enough in the car to give my best. Because it just wasn’t behaving the way I wanted it to.”
“And when you have problems like that at this level, when the car just doesn’t behave the way you want it to and it doesn’t match your driving style, then it’s not going to work,” said Stroll, explaining his problems.
Stroll talks about many missed opportunities
But it’s precisely at times like these that you shouldn’t doubt yourself: “You just have to know that things are going well when the car is there and behaving the way you want it to. If that’s not the case, then it naturally becomes more difficult.”
The Canadian, who has been in the premier class since 2017, knows: “This is Formula 1. The drivers are all at a very high level. You can never be competitive if you don’t feel comfortable and safe in the car and just drive freely and everything works. I think that’s my perception of it.”
Stroll’s season was also characterized by technical problems, which often cost him valuable time in practice and sometimes affected his races. “Yes, it was a season with a lot of bad luck, a lot of missed opportunities,” he says. “I don’t like to use the word bad luck, but I think missed opportunities. “
“But when I think about the retirements, it’s also bad luck. We had races like in Saudi Arabia, where we were in fourth place and there was an engine problem. In qualifying in Monaco we came across debris. The car was damaged in Q2 and we had to start from midfield. That’s when you lose your weekend.”
“I also think back to places like Suzuka, where we had a good race and the rear wing failed. Or Zandvoort, where we stopped on the track when it started to rain. That was the wrong decision,” recalls Stroll.
Don’t let setbacks slow you down
“We were in a good position to score a lot of points there. But that’s part of the season. Sometimes it goes very well for you. And sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want.”
“But I think as long as you try to just stay present and focus on one weekend at a time, all these things that kind of go wrong can change very quickly in the next race and everything will be fine.”
“But if you’re not fully present and you dwell on the past, on everything that’s happened, sometimes you miss the opportunities that present themselves next time. That’s not good. I think it’s really about being present.”
“You have to take it one race at a time – and accept that sometimes it can be a rollercoaster ride. It’s not always smooth sailing, it’s not always a straight line. I guess that’s racing in a way,” says Stroll.