At just 18 years of age, Lance Stroll Lance Stroll has become the new Québec face of Formula 1. Named a driver for the Williams Racing team last November, the young driving prodigy follows the era of Jacques Villeneuve and becomes Québec’s third representative – after Jacques and Gilles Villeneuve – to accomplish the feat of entering the top category of car racing.

Born October 29, 1998, Lance first tried karting at the age of five. Son of multibillionaire Lawrence Stroll, who owns Circuit Mont-Tremblant racetrack, Lance entered the Ferrari Driver Academy at the age of nine. He went up through the levels quickly and won, until 2013, numerous karting awards and titles. From his first season in Formula 4, he took the championship with ten wins in seventeen races. He was 15 years old. In 2016, Lance clearly dominated Europe’s Formula 4. He was named champion of Europe with fourteen wins in thirty races. Finally, the following year, he became, after Belgian Max Verstappen, the second youngest racing driver to start in an F1 Grand Prix.

“Lance has proved that he deserves a seat in Formula One. It is as wonderful as it is exciting to have him on the team,” declared Claire Williams, assistant director of the Williams Racing team in an interview with magazine Formula1.com magazine. “I don’t get nervous watching Lance, which I might have been with previous rookies,” she notes. “Having new talents is great for us and also for the sport.”

A sport reserved for the elite

Of course, his father’s fortune has made a big contribution to the fact that Lance has been able to get to the top level of auto sport. In Mont-Tremblant, and pretty much all over the planet, the name Lawrence Stroll is synonymous with immeasurable wealth. Which does not necessarily play in Lance’s favour.

“All the drivers who are now in the sport have been lucky enough to find financial backing to get to this point” Ms. Williams reminds us. “This is not something new in Formula One. Fernando Alonso had Santander, for example. It would be naive to think that you can get to the higher echelons of F1 without this contribution.”

Standing up to immense pressure

Besides, this fortune is no guarantee of success for the young driver and Lance has to continue to prove himself. Only 20 race car drivers in the world have the opportunity to take their place in a Formula 1; the pressure on Lance’s shoulders is enormous.

“In his first Formula 1 season, Lance Stroll has been confronted with a huge number of challenges, but none more demanding than having to manage all the pressure and expectations placed on him,” says Paddy Lowe, technical director for the Williams team on RDS (the French-language sports network).

Raw talent put to the test

Relentlessly scrutinized by journalists from all over the world, Lance is slammed by the media on a regular basis. No results yet, and his performances have been disappointing and have raised a lot of criticism. His talent, however, is undeniable and has been noted since he was very young.

“We’ve all seen his potential; it was really impressive to see him go,” said Ben Cooper, chief instructor at the Jim Russel Driving School and many-times world champion in karting, in a report.

Tires, Stroll’s bugbear

Bertrand Houle, a commentator with RDS, comes to Stroll’s defence and points out his problems with tires. “Yes, Lance prepared himself on a half-dozen tracks,” he admits, “but with a 2014 car and completely different tires. The 2017 cars are very demanding, higher performance and much more difficult to drive. The 2017 tires, too, are much harder and have less grip. And the tires are the main source of Lance Stroll’s difficulties,” he states, before adding that it would be good to wait a while longer.

Lance sets things straight

Lance, himself, even though the pressure is at the max, remains perfectly calm. With touching eloquence and astonishing maturity, he manages to help his critics put things in better perspective.

“The only thing I can say is you have to accept the position I’m in,” maintains Lance Stroll. “I’m 18 years old, it’s my first year, I’ve never been to all of the tracks and these new cars are very demanding to drive. So if you expect me to come in here and just show the world what I’m made of in my first couple races, that’s the wrong way to look at this whole thing. I need experience and a little bit of time then I become the best I can be,” he reminded a horde of journalists during the trials at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Time will make the difference

Lance’s comments are echoed by Jackie Stewart, three times world champion in Formula 1, who is persuaded that time will prove Lance – and those who believe in his talent – to be right. “Canadians just have to show a little patience, but it will come,” said Mr. Stewart on Radio Canada “He has had great success up to now,” particularly in F3. I hold great hopes for him. It will be really fantastic to have a Canadian driver on the podium, but I believe we have to allow him at least another two years.”