Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll sounded extremely frustrated over the radio during Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Stroll finished the race 15th, and while that was his best result of the season so far, he was still four laps down on the leaders.
Even more damning, he was also lapped by Esteban Ocon, the driver in 14th. He only beat the Cadillac of Valtteri Bottas, with retirements promoting him up the order.
Has Lawrence Stroll made too many changes at Aston Martin?
‘I hope the coffee’s really good’ – Lance Stroll’s remarkable Canadian Grand Prix radio
Stroll knows that he has no realistic chance of points at this stage of the season given the extensively documented issues with Aston Martin’s car. The Honda engine is severely underpowered, so much so that rival manufacturers have agreed to let them exceed the cost cap, and the chassis is also lacking.
Still, one can understand why Stroll found the experience of being relentlessly lapped at his home race painful.
In a radio message at the beginning of the race, he told the team: “I’m f—— slow.”
The 27-year-old was also critical of the team for the lack of proactive assistance, though they were struggling to hear him.
“It’s like you’re sleeping… just leaving me out here,” he remarked at one stage. “I hope the coffee’s really good on the pit wall.”
What have you made of Lance Stroll’s attitude at Aston Martin this season?
Later, he complained: “The amazing thing is, with all the locking in the last five laps, you guys haven’t recommended one switch change.”
Stroll told engineer Stephen Glass that he only carried on racing out of respect for the mechanics and his father Lawrence, who owns the team.
“I’m completing the race for the mechanics, that’s it,” he said. “And Lawrence. I’m completing the race for the mechanics and Lawrence.”
Stroll’s teammate Fernando Alonso retired from the Canadian GP due to a seat issue that left him nursing back pain. The Spaniard may have continued had points been on the cards.
Alonso says he finally has ‘hope’ for the upcoming races, even if Aston Martin’s first major upgrades won’t arrive until the late summer. While he qualified 19th, he was only three-tenths slower than the Williams of Alex Albon in qualifying.
Stroll lined up 21st between the two Cadillac drivers, a second off the pace of his teammate.
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