It certainly can’t hurt to have a father like businessman Lawrence Stroll — who has consistently provided a financial endowment to every team his son has raced for; and currently serves as part-owner/executive chairman of the entire Aston Martin brand — but the public tends to forget what Lance Stroll is capable of on his own merit.
The Canadian youngster emerged as the Italian F4 Championship’s king with Prema Powerteam in 2014 before becoming Toyota Racing Series champion in 2015.
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A little later on at the 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship, he schooled the now-revered likes of Mercedes’ George Russell and Williams’ Alexander Albon; proving instrumental to Prema Powerteam title defence.
Lance Stroll would ink his page in history as the youngest Formula 1 rookie to ever record a podium finish (P3) at the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. And at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, he’d earn his maiden F1 pole position. To date, he’s collected 285 career points across 155 race weekends.
Along the way, Stroll has had the good fortune of partnering with elite-calibre veterans, four-time champ Sebastian Vettel and two-time champ Fernando Alonso, during their respective tenures at Aston Martin F1. So what exactly has he learned studying at the proverbial feet of these world-beating masters?
“From Seb, I learnt a lot about how to go about a weekend,” Stroll explains.
“He was very detail orientated; he wanted to know every little detail behind any decision. He also did a lot for the sport over the years, which I really respect.”
“Fernando teaches us all about passion and motivation. That’s what makes Fernando who he is. Like all great athletes, he’s constantly pushing himself to get better every day.”
Posed with the hypothetical scenario of being able to partner any driver in history — apparently something F1 athletes get asked “a lot” but not something they ever really think about — he replied: “Growing up, I was a huge fan of Michael Schumacher. I used to get up super early in Canada to watch him race against my current teammate, Fernando. So, I think I’d go Michael.”
The latest iteration of the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team has experienced quite the evolution beyond commercially rebranding from Racing Point F1 Team, which was acquired by a Lawrence Stroll-led consortium circa 2018.
Over the past few seasons, the race outfit has steadily demonstrated improvements to become legitimate contenders in the perennial midfield battle. Now with a forthcoming Honda engine partnership — something many speculate could deliver Red Bull Racing-level results — as well as the forthcoming F1 regulation changes, suffice it to say, Aston Martin F1 is in a crucial transition stage.
One that could inform its success as a constructor for coming half decade.
“It’s like you said, we’re in this building stage and there’s such a lot to be excited about right now,” offers Stroll when I prompt him.
“This is a team that’s pushing hard, and it’s an amazing thing to be a part of. We have the Honda partnership from 2026, a state-of-the-art campus with a new wind tunnel, we’re working on our own gearbox… There’s so much to be positive about.”
“The goal has always been to build a team that’s capable of fighting for — and winning — World Championships. That’s a goal that I really believe in, and one that I want to help the team achieve.”
Much like any given race weekend, the broader strokes of Formula 1 is informed by an unforgiving “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” ethos. Hence why the elite motorsport generally feels like a young man’s game.
As someone who debuted in this rarefied echelon of motorsports at the fresh-faced age of 19, I was curious about Lance Stroll’s assessment of the new generation.
“I think the sport is in a very good place with its up-and-coming talent,” he said.
“The junior series such as Formula 2 and Formula 3 are so competitive — there’s a bunch of talented drivers — and so they do a great job at preparing drivers to come into Formula 1.”
Outside of being the race team’s head honcho, father Lawrence Stroll is also a part-owner of Aston Martin itself (approximately 16.7% via Yew Tree Investments). Meaning non-grand-prix-related matters such as the new Aston Martin Vantage have naturally become de facto family business.
“The new Vantage is addictive. It’s such an important model for Aston Martin, so it’s great to see that they got the new Vantage absolutely right,” says Stroll.
Elaborating on the sportscar’s design philosophy: “It’s a real driver’s car with potent performance, yet well-balanced with razor-sharp handling.”
“On the road, Vantage is everything you expect it to be, wherever you take it. On the track, you see a whole new side of the car. It is so responsive to the driver’s input and that makes being behind the wheel a lot of fun. It really is the ultimate Aston Martin sports car.”
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If there’s one statement Lance Stroll wanted to make about both himself as professional driver and Aston Martin as a brand… what would it be?
“We’re doing things with focus, dedication, and attention to detail. Aston Martin is a 111-year-old brand and it’s part of British, and international, culture. We want to uphold that tradition and strive for excellence by creating a Formula 1 team that represents the very best.”
“I’m proud to play a part in that, and I’ve been incredibly excited by the progress we’ve made and the developments that are transforming us into a team that can represent one of the world’s greatest brands on the global stage.”
All non-archival images included in this article have been captured by photographer Simon Emmett. Lance Stroll dressed by BOSS Menswear.
Now that you’ve read BH’s Lance Stroll interview, check out our previous yarns with Aussie battler Daniel Ricciardo, honorary Aussie Valtteri Bottas, George Russell, and plenty more.
