Lance Stroll Is Making Every Second Count

Photo Credit: Aston Martin

Top-ranked Canadian-Belgian driver Lance Stroll is making his mark as part of the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team on the heels of his speedy recovery, revealing that every second — on and off the racetrack — truly counts. 

The start of Lance Stroll’s 2023 Formula 1 season has been anything but ordinary. In fact, it’s been extraordinary. While the Canadian-Belgian driver secured another year with Aston Martin — set to be a leading racing team for the season — alongside Fernando Alonso, Stroll missed pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit after suffering a cycling accident during training. The accident left Stroll sustaining fractures in both wrists, with fans questioning his return. But, with great triumph, Stroll made his comeback in the 2023 Formula 1 season as a leading driver, revealing his unwavering perseverance. 

For Stroll, his journey back to the cockpit was a steady race against the clock. “It was a case of taking it one day at a time,” he reflects. “Obviously, there’s frustration in the time — specifically, in all of the times for this to happen to me, [I questioned], Why now? But I knew that getting stressed about the [injuries] wouldn’t help my recovery, so I dug deep, set the goal of getting back in the cockpit and then mini-goals of making progress along the way. I also had some good people around me, and I knew I was making progress, so it was just a case of seeing where the [recovery] took me. I was definitely not going to take any unnecessary risks, and in the end, it all worked out.”

Photo Credit: Aston Martin

Indeed, it did work out. Stroll has placed in the top 10 for most of his races this season, nearly reaching his first podium for the year. 

At the young age of 24, Stroll has already accomplished some impressive feats: he was the Italian F4 champion in 2014, the Toyota Racing Series champion in 2015, and the FIA European Formula 4 champion in 2016 before he began his Formula 1 career in 2017. Stroll earned his first podium finish in third place during the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, becoming the second-youngest driver to finish a Formula 1 race on the podium — and the youngest to do so during his rookie season. Yet, for Stroll, not just one race defines his career. “I get asked the question [about the race that put me on the map] a lot, and the answer is that there is never really a race where I feel like I nailed it, because you’re always thinking about the next race,” admits Stroll. 

Chasing perfection has been the driving force behind Stroll’s career. “[Each race], you always [strive] to be better. You always want to drive the perfect lap in qualifying, but you never do. [And] even when it’s ‘perfect,’ you know it could have been faster,” Stroll explains. “So, there’s not really one defining race; however, Baku in 2017, my first podium in F1, was an important stepping stone. But, thinking back on it now, I should have been second on that podium, not third — so, again, not perfect!” he adds, further cementing his perspective that one race does not define your career; instead, it is an amalgamation of consistent improvements in each race. 

Photo Credit: Aston Martin

And Stroll has an incredible support system behind him, helping him toward his drive for perfection. He has been on the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team since 2021 and on Racing Point (Aston Martin’s predecessor) since 2019. “I was with the team before it became Aston Martin, so I’ve seen things change. I think the first year was a gradual transition from Racing Point, but I look around me now, and I see a team that lives and breathes Aston Martin,” Stroll notes. “We’ve gotten to a point where we can really fight hard at the front, and that’s because we took the time to get everything into the right place. Everywhere you look, there are more people, better resources, and more capacity [to help achieve the goals]. It’s been gratifying to watch that build, and it just gives you that extra push to want to achieve more,” he adds. 

Finding his stride on the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team has been an inspiring journey for Stroll, as he has learned from fellow drivers like Checo Pérez and Sebastian Vettel during his time on both teams. “The goal is to always learn — I learned so much from Pérez and then over the past two years from Vettel, and now I’m learning from Fernando Alonso, who has been racing in Formula 1 for over 20 years. He’s still learning things, and so am I,” Stroll says. 

Photo Credit: Aston Martin

Alonso, the legendary Spanish driver, came out of retirement in 2021 for a major Formula 1 comeback. “I’ve known [Alonso] for some time, and we have a really strong relationship,” Stroll says. “We have a similar driving style, and we want the same things from the car, which means that we have a really strong working bond.” 

This season, Stroll is learning from Alonso and also receiving immense encouragement from him to keep fighting at the front. “We have a fast car, so the scenario going into each race is different — it’s much more about maximizing each and every race weekend, as opposed to looking for an opportunistic result. And that’s a different mindset,” reveals Stroll. “It’s much more of a marathon than a sprint — and I’m learning about that. Fernando has had three podiums in 2023, and there’s no reason why I can’t aim to get into the top three, too.”

Photo Credit: Aston Martin

Stroll’s drive is tenacious, and he’s not slowing down with the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix on the horizon. “The Miami track is fast but hard — that’s how a street circuit should be. You need to take risks, but you get punished for overstepping the mark. That’s how I like it,” he admits. Reflecting on last year’s first Formula 1 race in Miami, Stroll discloses his frustrations. “Last year’s race was a bit frustrating; we had a problem before the start, so we had to start from the back. But we came through the field, so it actually ended up pretty positive,” he explained. 

“What was impressive, though, was just seeing the impact that Formula 1 has had in the United States and seeing what that meant to people [attending]. The grandstands and the Paddock Club were packed, and the atmosphere was really intense. Formula 1 is having a real moment right now, and Miami shows just how much the sport can truly achieve.”

Stroll’s relationship with racing is a never-ending circuit as he lives life knowing every day brings something new and different, ultimately challenging him to never stop learning and making progress. “[This ethos] is true for every walk of life; there’s always more that you can learn and more that you can do,” Stroll declares with confidence. 

Stroll has a zest for life and sees time as his greatest asset. “Time is central to the life of a racing driver,” he says. “Your life is ruled by the stopwatch, so you have this really intimate relationship with a thousandth of a second — probably more than almost anyone else on the planet. And, to me, that’s fascinating. Those tiny increments of time that most people don’t even register become markers in your life between success and failure.”

Photo Credit: Aston Martin

On the other end of the spectrum, Stroll also views time as a luxury for disengaging and recharging. “When you can get away from the racetrack, the car, and the atmosphere, there’s an opportunity to totally disregard the timer. But that doesn’t mean I do not have a watch on my wrist — because I do,” he adds. In fact, the timepiece you can most often spot on his wrist is his beloved Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph Aston Martin F1 Edition.

When talking about this timepiece, his affinity for watches immediately sparks. “It’s a totally cool watch with British Racing Green and created from parts of our Formula 1 cars — it has a massive connection to grand prix racing. It’s a great piece you can wear as a dress watch because the color and design elements are refined, but you can also dress it down and make it more casual because it has a unique color and lightweight strap. It also has a heft to it, which I really like. It’s a proper statement piece — it doesn’t fade into the background; it says something about the wearer whenever I take it anywhere. I love it.”

Similarly, Stroll does not fade into the background. While he is in the prime time of his racing career, fighting for that front spot, his main aim is to remain grounded. “Formula 1 is a great life, but it’s tough with a lot of traveling and pressure, so for me, racing is about keeping close to the people [I] know and love and remaining true to who I am.”