Guenther Steiner, the outspoken former Haas boss, has cast serious doubts on Lance Stroll’s passion for Formula 1, claiming the young driver’s continued presence in the sport is driven more by his father’s involvement than by his own desire to compete.
Stroll’s struggles post-summer break reached a new low in Brazil last weekend, when a formation lap disaster saw him miss the race altogether. After crashing during qualifying, Stroll spun and attempted to recover, only to drive directly into a wet gravel trap, beached and unable to continue.
Steiner, speaking on the Red Flag podcast, believes the criticism Stroll faces may have played a part in this high-profile blunder. “He knew he did something stupid on the formation lap and just lost control of his actions,” Steiner explained. “I think he panicked. When the world’s watching and you’re constantly critiqued, it’s easy to spiral. So you do something foolish, and then follow it with something even worse—it’s like a brain fart.”
Lance’s lackluster results haven’t impacted his place on the Aston Martin grid, thanks in large part to the fact that his father, billionaire Lawrence Stroll, owns the team. Steiner asserts that if it weren’t for his father’s backing, Stroll likely wouldn’t be racing in F1, as he appears to lack genuine enthusiasm for the sport.
“He never seems to be happy, no matter what,” Steiner added. “If you ask, ‘Would he be a World Champion if he were happy?’—that’s a tough one. Some people perform better under pressure or discomfort, but with Lance, it’s hard to tell. If his dad didn’t own the team, I don’t think Lance would be in F1, because he simply doesn’t want to be there.”
This is not Steiner’s first critique of Stroll. In September, Steiner dismissed the Canadian’s performance in Singapore as “non-existent,” further fueling the belief that Stroll lacks the drive and resilience required to compete at the highest level.
With his recent run extending to eight races without points, Stroll’s future in the sport—beyond his father’s influence—continues to be a subject of debate. As the season winds down, the F1 world will be watching to see if Lance can prove himself, or if his presence on the grid will remain a question of family ties rather than performance.
