Lance Stroll quizzed on long-term F1 future amid Aston Martin team ‘growth’

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team, puts on his crash helmet

Lance Stroll answered diplomatically when asked if his familial connection to the top of Aston Martin means he will likely stay at the team for the rest of his career.

Stroll’s father Lawrence is chairman and part owner of the team, with the Canadian having moved to Team Silverstone when they were known as Racing Point in 2019.

Lawrence Stroll has overseen a huge investment into the team, with a new factory open for its employees and an on-site wind tunnel in production, but son Lance has faced pressure to perform after their improved fortunes on track last year.

Lance Stroll responds to potential career-long Aston Martin stint question

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Stroll came back from a cycling accident to start the season in spite of a swift recovery from two broken wrists and a broken toe, performing well in the early stages of the season.

But overall, his deficit to Fernando Alonso through the course of the year was a cause for concern, Stroll coming back to this season with new ideas for how he can get himself on terms with his two-time World Champion team-mate.

With the majority of the grid out of contract at the end of the year, though the status of Stroll’s deal with Aston Martin is believed to be a rolling one, his seat is considered a safe one if he matches up well against Alonso.

But he was asked at the launch of the AMR24 if another seat would ever tempt him away from Aston Martin, and if the fact his father owns the team means he is likely to stay for as long as he does.

Stroll would not be drawn on an answer, however.

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“I’m focused on this year right now,” Stroll responded to media including PlanetF1.com when asked if it’s a ‘given’ that as long as his father owns the Aston Martin team, he’ll hold one of the seats.

“I’m driving in green, and I’m very motivated and also just excited and happy to be a part of this incredible project we have going at AMF1.

“You know, we’ve grown so much as a team over the last five years. There’s been many very talented people here for a long time before it was Aston Martin, and along with a lot of those talented people, a lot of new talented people have joined the team recently over the last couple of years.

“We have this new factory now, we have a wind tunnel in the process of being built, and all I’m thinking about is how exciting times are right now at Aston Martin, and then I’m, you know, looking forward and focused on the season ahead.”