Lance Stroll is set to join Force India before the Italian Grand Prix next weekend, after scheduling a seat fitting with the Silverstone-based outfit for Tuesday. Stroll has been heavily linked with a seat at the team following his father's takeover.
Lawrence Stroll saved the team from administration over the summer break after weeks of rumours that he was looking to buy the team. Lance Stroll, who made his F1 debut in 2017, was expected to make the move to Force India if his father was to go through with the deal.
And after it was confirmed that Stroll senior had led a consortium of investors to buy the team, his son was immediately linked with Esteban Ocon's seat. Despite Williams saying it has a contract with the Canadian until the end of the season, RaceFans.net reports that Stroll will join Force India alongside Sergio Perez for next week's Italian Grand Prix.
Perez, who is soon expected to announce an extension with the team he's raced with since 2014, spoke about the possibility of having Stroll as a teammate: “I think it’s so hard to know someone as a driver when you are not being alongside him,” said Perez.
“There is so much difference in Formula 1 across teams performance, between cars you see difference of two-and-a-half seconds or so. So it’s very hard to judge a driver.
“I think he did not too bad alongside Felipe [Massa] which I think is a very experienced driver. Right now Williams is in a very difficult position so it’s very hard to judge. I think he’s grown up, he has good experience now with two years at Williams, we’ll see what he’s able to do in that regard. It’s very hard to judge someone when they’re not your teammate.”
Fergal Walsh
So Ocon to McLaren might happen? Or will he have to go to Sauber 2.0, also referred to as Williams? Looks like Silly season is far from over!
So the guy who brought Force India a third place on the grid is going to lose his seat. Really?
"Daddy, daddy this Williams car you rented for me is so slow! Can I have another one? Please!"
"Which one do you want?"
"I like the pink one!"
"Son, I will buy you two."
After watching the drivers press conference I gotta say that I want to play poker with Lance. He has the worst poker face of anybody I have ever seen. He couldn't keep a straight face when asked about moving to Force India and tried to brush it off like he didn't know what's happening. You know Perez is thinking the same thing that VER said in the press conference when asked if he was going to help Gasly, he basically said that wherever I see his weakness I'm going to use that to my advantage. I think Perez is going to leave Stroll in his dust.
I don't think they'll slow Perez down, it would be detrimental to the team. They might give Lance preferential treatment when it comes to upgrades and new parts, but that would also be damaging in the long run for the team. A good driver that has a choice between Racing Point and another team will likely go to the other team if he knows he will have a no. 2 status at RP. Not a fan of Stroll, however I am glad his dad rescued Force India, also is this really the scenario that Lance prefers? Constantly being in daddy's shadow, having your father do your progressing for you? Don't you think he feels the quiet disdain from most of the other drivers? In my opinion there are two newcomers on the grid who are capable of taking the fight to the likes of Hamilton, Vettel and Verstappen and they are Ocon and Leclerc. Now here comes Lance, sitting in big daddy's pocket, and forces one of them away. The other drivers have got to be shaking their heads...
On the plus side for Force India, they will no longer have their two cars racing each other on the track.
I could criticize but instead I will say … BEST DAD EVER !!!
It’s also a pretty traditional racing scenario almost like olden days aristocratic privateers. Stroll Sr. seems to have worked hard and legit for all of his success, and the baby rhino is not letting him down after all those tens of thousands in racing lessons. Good focus and consistency. When kids and parents get it together and work hard for each other it’s a powerful force. We are going to find out some truth. Hopefully they will get the seat right as Lance complained about his seat this year.
I know some people like it but personally, I hope they change the garish paint to more of a rose or burgundy. The pink for me is disturbing. I don’t like it one bit. But if it has to stay dandy pink, go all the way with metal flake like a tasty lip gloss. Green would be more respectable, no?
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So the guy who brought Force India a third place on the grid is going to lose his seat. Really?