F1 News: Lance Stroll Addresses Aston Martin Exit Rumours - “Challenging Season”
Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll has had a rough season with the Silvetstone-based team this year. But, despite the shortcomings, the Canadian driver has revealed that he will continue racing with the team next season.
Stroll struggled to get within points this year on many occasions, and his poor performance was often highlighted by teammate Fernando Alonso's potent display that scored the team plenty of points. It was as if the team's position in the Constructors' Championship rested on the Spaniard's shoulders.
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The contrast between the two drivers was a strong one since Alonso has taken eight podium finishes this season so far, while Stroll has not yet made it into the top three. In fact, the latter has contributed only 25% of Aston Martin's total points this year, and the team is currently in fifth place in the standings, after briefly holding second place in the early part of the season.
Of course, the drop in position is also attributed to the challenges the AMR23 F1 car posed during the second half of the season, which saw both drivers fall behind competition quite badly. But, that still isn't an excuse to shadow Stroll's shortcomings.
There was plenty of speculation hinting at Stroll's migration toward WEC. But brushing aside all reports, Stroll revealed his intention to continue racing for his father Lawrence Stroll's team, which many believe has come in the way to protect him, despite the lack of performance.
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack added that Stroll would continue to race with the team next year alongside Alonso. Confirming that he will continue to race with Aston Martin next year, Stroll told RacingNews365.com:
“The plan is I'm staying next year.
“It's been a challenging season at times for sure. [There's been] some great highlights but also some really frustrating days of recent.
“But yeah, the plan is to keep going next year for sure.”
- Aston Martin on X