F1 News: Lance Stroll Defends 2023 Struggles - "Bad Luck, Missed Opportunities"

Lance Stroll reflects on "missed opportunities" from the 2023 season.

Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll reflected on his challenging 2023 season, citing a lack of synergy with his car and various misfortunes. Stroll's late-season improvement, however, highlighted his potential when conditions favoured him.

Key Takeaways

• Struggles with Car Compatibility: Lance Stroll expressed that for a significant part of the 2023 F1 season, he couldn't gel with the car, affecting his performance.
• Late-Season Turnaround: Despite early challenges, Stroll demonstrated his abilities with back-to-back P5 finishes in Brazil and Las Vegas, attributing this success to finally having a car that suited him.
• Instances of Misfortune: Stroll pointed out numerous instances of bad luck and missed opportunities throughout the season, including technical failures and strategic errors, which he believes significantly affected his overall performance.

- Aston Martin on X

Starting the season on the back foot due to a pre-season cycling accident, Stroll's initial races were marked by struggles to match the performance of his new teammate, two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso. This period was particularly challenging for Aston Martin, which failed to maintain its early-season form.

Aston Martin's acknowledgment of misguided upgrades to the AMR23 was a turning point. The team's revised strategy led to a noticeable improvement in Stroll's performances, culminating in impressive P5 finishes in Brazil and Las Vegas. Stroll emphasised the importance of having a car that resonated with his driving style, stating, as reported by Autosport.com:

“It feels good to do well, for sure.

“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.”

- Aston Martin on X

However, Stroll's season wasn't without its challenges. He highlighted several instances of misfortune, including engine problems in Saudi Arabia and a rear wing failure in Suzuka. These events, coupled with strategic missteps like the one in Zandvoort, significantly impacted his overall standing.

“It’s been a season with a lot of bad luck, a lot of missed opportunity. 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.”