Are we dealing with a new Lance Stroll in 2023?
During the last Bahrain Grand Prix, Lance Stroll impressed the paddock by bringing his Aston Martin to the 6th position despite having two fractured wrists. Does this performance indicate a superbly improved Lance Stroll in 2023?

A few weeks ago, Aston Martin announced that Lance Stroll could not take part in the winter testing for the 2023 season after falling off his bicycle. It had also been indicated that the Canadian might not be available for the opening Grand Prix of this new Formula 1 season. In the end, the poleman of the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix managed to overcome the pain to bring back 6th place points for his team in Bahrain. This performance earned him congratulations from his garage neighbor, Fernando Alonso, but also from his friend Esteban Ocon.
While Lance Stroll could have taken some time to ensure his recovery and rest, the Aston Martin driver was aware that a very good result could await him at the finish line behind the wheel of the AMR23. He had actually stated at the end of the race: “It was a fun race, and I am very happy to have scored points. It wasn’t the most comfortable race for me due to my injuries, but finishing in 6th position was worth the suffering.”
With a competitive car, Lance Stroll finally gives the impression of being a passionate driver, and not just there because his father owns the team. This is not the first time that the native of Montreal has shown the best of himself behind the wheel of a single-seater capable of achieving good results. In 2020, Stroll proudly held the 4th position in the driver’s championship until the Mugello Grand Prix. In fact, the first part of his season had flirted with excellence. In addition to his two 4th places in Hungary and Spain, the highlight of this early campaign was undoubtedly his podium finish in Monza. While the Racing Point driver was in contention to achieve another podium at Mugello, a puncture sent his car crashing at high speed into the barriers. This first unlucky episode would be the first of a long series. During the Russian Grand Prix, he was hit by Charles Leclerc on the first lap before being absent from the next Grand Prix at the Nürburgring after testing positive for Covid-19. Later in the season, the Racing Point with number 18 was barrel-rolled by Kvyat’s AlphaTauri. It was at the end of this Grand Prix that the Canadian did not hide his frustration after a catastrophic second half of the season: “It’s just a joke that I’ve only scored two points since Monza. Something always happens, always something.” Despite his pole position in Turkey and his podium finish in Bahrain, Stroll ultimately finished this season in 11th place in the championship with 75 points, while his garage neighbor, Sergio Perez, finished in 4th position with 125 points.
Despite a strong 2020 season, Lance Stroll has been less prominent since Racing Point became Aston Martin. Being back behind the wheel of a mediocre car for the past two years, he has consistently been outperformed by his teammate Sebastian Vettel and often criticized for his lapses in attention on the track, resulting in frequent collisions. The 2016 F3 champion had become almost invisible, and whenever his name was mentioned in the press, it was often in a negative light. However, if it is performance that motivates him, then 2023 presents a perfect opportunity for him to regain his reputation. Especially now that the Canadian has Fernando Alonso as his teammate, he will have the chance to prove his worth against a double world champion at the top of his game.
Despite his dream position in Formula 1, with his father as his employer, Lance Stroll will have to perform if Aston Martin aims to compete for victories in the coming months. Lawrence Stroll, before being a family man, is a businessman who must ensure that his company earns as much money as possible. To do so, both cars need to accumulate the most points. If Lance Stroll were to make his team lose too many points, it is not impossible for him to be fired, like any driver who doesn’t meet the sporting expectations.
So now we can only hope that this first Grand Prix in Bahrain was just a taste of a new Lance Stroll, more motivated to make an impact on the sport but also aware that his situation won’t keep him in the premier category of motorsport forever.