Billionaire Lawrence Stroll deserves credit for investing a significant amount of money to support his son Lance’s aspirations to become a Formula 1 World Champion. Stroll went as far as buying an F1 team and turning it into the impressive mega project Aston Martin is today. This is a prime example of a dedicated father going above and beyond for his children, provided he has the financial means to do so.
Now in his eighth season in Formula 1, Lance Stroll’s performance has undoubtedly declined compared to his time at Racing Point. He has failed to outshine Sebastian Vettel, who has his fair share of experience in the sport, and now, with Fernando Alonso as his teammate, it is evident that Stroll is not ready for the top of racing.
The Strolls must have been disappointed with Lance’s 16th place qualifying result in Suzuka. If they were not already aware that Lance lacks the necessary skills, this performance certainly made that abundantly clear. Alternatively, they may be in a state of denial, reluctant to accept the reality of the situation.
The disparity between Alonso and Stroll was clearly evident in Suzuka. This circuit is known to be old-school and unforgiving, punishing any mistakes made by the drivers. It separates the truly skilled from the rest. Today’s qualifying session perfectly exemplified this, with the 25-year-old Stroll being the “boy” and the 42-year-old experienced Alonso being the “man”. Alonso secured an impressive second place on the timing screens during the early stages of qualifying, placing himself between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Stroll, on the other hand, finished in 16th place, a significant 0.77 seconds behind his more experienced teammate. Alonso continued to improve his time in Q3.
Reflecting on his performance on Saturday, Alonso expressed his satisfaction in securing fifth place: “I am very happy with fifth position today. Qualifying in Suzuka is always a special experience, with low fuel loads and new tires. Everything felt good in the car today. It may have been unexpected to be as competitive as we were. Compared to last year, when we were over a second slower than the pole time in Suzuka, we are now only four tenths away. It seems like we are heading in the right direction. It is too early to determine if our updates have had a significant impact, but we will analyze all the data we have. Historically, we have been faster in qualifying than in the race, so let’s see what happens on Sunday,” said Alonso, who is about to embark on his 381st Grand Prix start. His last Formula 1 victory dates back to 2013.
Last year, in September, in Suzuka, when the AMR23 was no longer in contention for podiums, the Canadian also failed to advance beyond Q1, with a time only enough for 17th place, and once again seven tenths of a second behind Alonso’s P10 effort. In simpler terms, the young driver is not improving compared to the experienced veteran who is 17 years older.
Stroll admitted his shortcomings, stating: “I simply did not have the necessary speed in Qualifying today and we are still not sure why. I believe I was pushing my car to the limit, but lacked the speed to get into Q3.”
He continued: “It seems like the updated package is working on Fernando’s AMR24, so we will review everything tonight to determine if there were other factors affecting my car. We have a lot of work ahead of us before the Grand Prix and we must seize every opportunity that arises,” added Stroll.
It is worth noting that Alonso’s updated chassis was only available for FP3, while Stroll had the updates on his car since the beginning of FP1 in Japan. Despite having only one hour to adapt to the changes, “Fernando completely outperformed Lance,” as our technical expert Mark Kay stated.
This situation is not only embarrassing for the Aston Martin brand that Stroll is trying to establish, but also serves as a warning for Lawrence to take this ambitious project seriously. Perhaps it is time for him to have a serious conversation with his son Lance and consider saying, “Formula 1 is not the right path for you, my son. Should we instead focus on building a team for Le Mans?”
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Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals in his team’s victory against rival Barcelona in the last game. The match took place at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona and was a true spectacle for soccer fans.
In the first half, Ronaldo opened the scoring with a beautiful shot from outside the box. The Barcelona goalkeeper had no chance of defense and the ball ended up in the back of the net. It was a goal worthy of applause.
In the second half, Ronaldo showed his skill again and scored the second goal of the match. This time, he took advantage of a rehearsed play and finished with precision, leaving the opposing goalkeeper helpless.
With this victory, Ronaldo’s team remains in the lead of the championship and increases their advantage over Barcelona. Fans are excited about the star’s performance and believe he will be crucial for the title win.
In addition to the goals, Ronaldo also stood out in other moments of the match. His speed, technique, and vision of the game impressed everyone. He showed why he is considered one of the best players in the world.
Ronaldo’s performance also caught the attention of the international press. Several journalists praised the player’s performance and highlighted his importance to the team. Ronaldo is a true football icon and continues to amaze everyone with his talent.
Football fans can’t wait to see what Ronaldo will do in the upcoming games. His skill and dedication are inspiring and make him admired by people of all ages.
Without a doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo left his mark on this match and showed why he is considered one of the greatest players of all time. His football career is full of achievements and he continues to write his name in the history of the sport.
Fans are eager to see what the future holds for Ronaldo. With his talent and determination, there is no doubt that he will continue to surprise and delight everyone with his football.
