Reflecting on the challenges faced during the F1 2023 season, Lance Stroll emphasized the crucial role of car compatibility in determining a driver’s competitiveness.
Despite facing initial obstacles, including his commendable return to the Bahrain season-opener after a cycling accident, Stroll found it challenging to match the performance of his teammate, Fernando Alonso, as the season unfolded.
The scrutiny on Stroll’s future heightened, coinciding with Aston Martin’s overall struggles and Alonso’s podium success early in the season. Acknowledging the team’s missteps in their upgrades for the AMR23, Stroll’s fortunes took a positive turn in the later rounds, culminating in impressive back-to-back P5 finishes in Brazil and Las Vegas.
Stroll: Me and car did not align
Stroll has underscored the importance of having a car that aligns with his capabilities, enabling him to demonstrate his full potential on the track.
“It feels good to do well, for sure,” Stroll told Motorsport.com.
“But I knew that if I feel the platform working well underneath me, and I can drive the car freely without kind of dealing and driving around things that inherently bothered me in the car, I’d be at a good level and I’d get the most out of myself.
“And I know that for a few months with changes that were made, there were weekends where I just couldn’t get into that place where I felt free in the car, and I can just drive at my best. Because it just wasn’t behaving the way I wanted.
“And at this level when you have those issues, when the car is just not behaving how you want inherently, and it doesn’t agree with your driving style, it won’t work.
“And I think in those moments you can’t put the doubt on yourself, it’s like you just have to know that when it’s going to be there and it’s going to behave the way you want, it’s going to go well, and when it’s not there, it’s not going to behave the way you want, it’s going to be more challenging.
“That’s F1, the drivers are all very high level, you can never be competitive if you’re not comfortable and confident in your car and just driving freely and it’s working. I think that’s my perception of it.”
‘The Season Marred by Misfortune’
At the conclusion of the season, Stroll amassed 74 points, a stark contrast to Alonso’s formidable 206, and failed to secure podium finishes, unlike Alonso’s impressive eight appearances.
Stroll, nonetheless, emphasized numerous instances of bad luck throughout the season that played a significant role in the apparent lack of cohesion.
“It’s been a season with a lot of bad luck, a lot of missed opportunity,” said Stroll. “I don’t like using the words bad luck, but I think missed opportunities.
“But I guess it’s bad luck when I think about the failures and stuff. We had races like Saudi running P4, engine problem, Monaco qualy, hitting debris. Damage to the car in Q2 and starting from mid-pack in Monaco, you lose your weekend. I think back to places like Suzuka, having a good race, rear wing failure.
“In Zandvoort we missed the pit stop when the rain came down, we stayed out on track, it was a wrong decision. We were in a good place to score big points there. But I think that’s part of the season.”
