The name of Lance Stroll has long been a source of debate in the Formula 1 paddock, often more for the perception that he owes his seat to his billionaire father, Lawrence Stroll, than for his performance. Since his debut in 2017, the Canadian driver has struggled to escape the shadow of nepotism — a label that has plagued him since his early racing days and continues to follow him at Aston Martin.
However, one of Formula 1’s most revered technical masterminds has now come to his defence. Adrian Newey, the legendary designer behind championship-winning cars at Williams, McLaren, Red Bull and now Aston Martin, believes Stroll has been judged too harshly by fans and critics alike. “In my opinion, Lance has an unfairly bad reputation as a driver,” says Newey, who recently joined Aston Martin in a high-profile move that shook the F1 world.
This isn’t a passing remark. Newey genuinely rates Stroll, pointing to a career that includes a pole position, three podium finishes, and a championship-winning Formula 3 campaign. “Any driver who makes it to Formula 1 is undoubtedly very good. But I think Lance is much better than people give him credit for,” he adds.
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However, Newey’s faith stands in stark contrast to the cold numbers. Since joining the Formula 1 grid in 2017 with Williams, Stroll has only once outscored a teammate over a season — narrowly beating rookie Sergey Sirotkin in 2018 by six points to one. Against everyone else, from Felipe Massa to Sergio Pérez, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, Stroll has consistently come up short.
In his rookie year, he surprised some by achieving a podium finish in Baku and finishing just three points behind Massa, a former title contender. However, what initially looked like a promising start soon faded into a pattern of inconsistency. In 2019 and 2020, alongside Sergio Pérez at Racing Point, Stroll lagged behind, scoring 21 points to Pérez’s 52 in 2019, and then 75 to 125 in 2020 — despite securing a pole position in Turkey and a podium at Monza.
His time alongside four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel also failed to improve his reputation. In 2021, Stroll scored 34 points to Vettel’s 43. By 2022, the gap had widened further: 18 to 37. When Alonso joined in 2023, the disparity became even more apparent. The Spaniard amassed 206 points, compared to Stroll’s 74. In 2024, the margin was 70 to 24 — once again, a landslide victory for the older driver.
While Stroll has gone four full seasons without reaching the podium, his teammates have won nine races in that same period.
A glimmer of light in 2025
However, in what could be his most significant season yet, Stroll has got off to a flying start in 2025, leading Fernando Alonso by 14 points to 2 after the opening rounds.
For the first time in years, he is outpacing a teammate of real calibre, although it is still early in the campaign. This uptick in performance has caught the attention of Newey, who recently joined Aston Martin and is still getting to know the drivers he has inherited.
“Fernando is such a cool character,” Newey says of Alonso.
“Along with Lewis Hamilton, he’s one of two drivers I’ve always wanted to work with. I couldn’t work with both of them, so at least I have one of them.”
It’s high praise indeed, yet Newey also refuses to diminish Stroll’s value. While fans and commentators continue to question his place on the grid, Newey remains adamant that Lance deserves more credit than he gets.
Can a reputation be rewritten?
There’s no denying that Lance Stroll’s path into Formula 1 was unconventional — not because of the racing route he took, but because of the resources behind it. His father, Lawrence, didn’t just support him through the junior series; he bought an entire Formula 1 team (Racing Point, now Aston Martin) to secure his son a place on the grid. In a sport where meritocracy is fiercely debated, Stroll Jr became an easy target.
However, Newey, who has worked with icons such as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Mika Häkkinen and Sebastian Vettel, does not agree with the idea that Stroll is a passenger in this sport.
“If you compare him with his teammates — Checo, Nico Hülkenberg, Sebastian, and now Fernando — he has always been there,” says Newey.
While this claim may be statistically questionable, perhaps the numbers don’t capture everything.
Stroll’s ability to handle pressure, bounce back from criticism and remain unfazed by the spotlight has helped him stay in the game. This mental resilience, combined with his raw speed on select weekends, forms the basis of Newey’s defence. In an era where data dominates perception, Newey seems to be arguing for the intangibles.
Stroll’s inflection point
Still, the numbers remain stubborn: Eight seasons. One teammate beaten. No podiums in four years. For a driver whose future is constantly called into question, the 2025 season could be his last chance to change the narrative. His early advantage over Alonso could be more than just a statistical anomaly. If he maintains it, he won’t just earn points — he’ll also win over some of his sceptics.
Then there’s the question of what the future holds for Aston Martin now that Newey has joined. The team is investing heavily in building a championship-calibre operation. With Honda joining as an engine partner from 2026 and Newey expected to design the cars, Aston Martin will have no shortage of talent or ambition. But will there be room for Lance if he can’t keep up with the machinery?
In the ruthless world of Formula 1, the Stroll name can only carry a driver so far. However, Newey’s endorsement is significant. In fact, it may be the most meaningful show of support that Stroll has received in years — from a figure whose opinion carries as much weight as any stopwatch.
Only time will tell whether Newey’s faith will be vindicated. For now, at least, Lance Stroll finally has a powerful ally in his corner.
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The current Aston Martin Formula one team began life back in 1991 when Eddie Jordan decided to set up the ‘Jordan Grand Prix’ team. Throughout its various iterations, the Silverstone based squad have never been front running challengers although in its various iterations there have been five Grand Prix victories.
The latest was in the topsy turvy year that was dominated by Covid-19, where at the Sakhir Grand Prix Sergio Perez took a comfortable victory, the first for the team since Brazil 2003, when Eddie Jordan was in charge.
Now Aston Martin with hundreds of millions dollars invested in their Silverstone HQ, billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll is pulling to all the stops to see his team rival the likes of McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari. Yet as the new wind tunnel came online earlier this year there were big correlation issues between the drawing board and what was happening in the real world of the track….. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
Adrian – come on! We know who is paying your huge salary so you are cosying up to your paymasters. And it wasn’t that long ago (before you left RB Racing) you were saying Lance Stroll was holding back the AM teams progress. We are observant fans – we can see how the talented chosen 20 perform both on and off the F1 circuits around the world. If Lance wasn’t Lawrence’s son he would not be in F1. End of.
Hmmm, Jeremy Wilkinson the world renowned expert on all things F1. A man who came up through the ranks of the other armchair experts. A man who worked his way up to being in charge of the tv remote. Great input but alas totally wrong. Fact, you don’t put on a helmet and gloves, sit in any race car or bike and go 200 mph around any track, be there at the chequered flag and think it was all because you were lucky. They’re all brave and all skilled drivers regardless of their route to the grid. End of!!