Guenther Steiner doesn’t think ‘unhappy’ 164-race driver wants to be in Formula 1

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Five drivers failed to finish the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last weekend. With reliability in Formula 1 better than ever, it’s only the second time all season this has happened.

The first was at the Canadian GP at June, another wet race, with both Ferraris, both Williams and the Red Bull of Sergio Perez unable to reach the chequered flag. There were some similarities in the DNF column at Interlagos.

Carlos Sainz once again crashed out, losing the rear of his Ferrari into turn seven and sliding into the barriers. Sainz had already brought out a red flag with an accident in the morning qualifying session.

At Williams, Alex Albon didn’t even appear on the grid after a heavy crash in Q3. And Franco Colapinto hit the wall during a safety car period as the track became barely driveable.

Nico Hulkenberg didn’t damage his Haas car when he spun off at turn one. However, he received assistance from the marshals to rejoin the track, triggering an automatic disqualification.

And the final inclusion on the list was Lance Stroll, whose exit was rather embarrassing. Stroll lost his Aston Martin on the formation lap and then beached his car in the gravel as he tried to reverse.

Guenther Steiner doubts Lance Stroll is happy in Formula 1

With the recovery vehicles needed to clear the Aston, the start of the race had to be delayed. It was a bitter blow for the Silverstone outfit’s mechanics, who remarkably repaired both cars after qualifying shunts.

Stroll, who’s previously thrived in slippery conditions, had a chance at a healthy haul of points from 10th on the grid. But his scoreless streak has now extended to eight races, 10 including Sprints.

Speaking on the Red Flags Podcast, former Haas boss Guenther Steiner questioned Stroll’s appetite for F1. He believes he’s ‘unhappy’ in the sport and is only racing because his father owns the team.

Steiner said: “He never looks happy. He never seems to be happy, whatever happens. Would he be a world champion if he was happy? I don’t know about that one. Some people can be good even when they’re unhappy.

“We think he’s unhappy – maybe it’s just his expression. A lot of people critique him ‘he’s such a bad driver, he’s just there because daddy has the team’. But put it this way – if daddy didn’t have the team, I don’t think Lance would be a Formula 1 driver. Because he doesn’t want to be one.”

The chant from F1 crowd when Lance Stroll beached Aston Martin at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Peter Windsor called Stroll a ‘disgrace’ after his gaffe. After Pierre Gasly finished third and Yuki Tsunoda seventh, the Canadian has fallen to 13th in the championship.

Esteban Ocon, the runner-up in Sao Paulo, is just a point behind. But if Steiner is correct, Stroll may not particularly care about where he ends up.

From 2026, he might have a chance at winning races. Aston Martin have hired Adrian Newey as part of a new-look, world-class engineering team, so Stroll may appear more motivated following the regulation changes.

His seat is safe regardless, up until the point he decides to walk away. The Brazilian crowd chanted Felipe Drugovich’s name after Stroll went off, but the reserve driver has little chance of a seat as it stands.