After having defended the management of Lawrence Stroll, of which he has a real vision internally, the director of the Aston Martin F1 team, Mike Krack, also wanted to defend the one he considered to be « the most exposed of us all »Lance Stroll .
The Canadian is very often criticized for his very random seasons in terms of level, capable of brilliant strokes like in 2020 or dull performances like last year or at the start of the season.
So how do you defend the boss’s son? For Krack, Stroll is very underrated and deserves more credit than he gets from fans and media alike.
The subject is launched when the Beyond the Grid podcast asks him where he placed Lance on the scale of 20 drivers in F1.
“It’s very hard to say. Lance, let’s not forget, has never had a very competitive car so far in his career. »
« What we know is that he has done and knows how to do exceptional things when the conditions allow it – Istanbul, for example, in the wet. For me, Lance is one of the most underrated drivers. esteemed. He’s much, much better than people think. He also works much, much harder than people think. »
« He’s in great physical and mental shape. And also, he’s a very polite and helpful person, which a lot of people don’t know. And those who could aren’t spending the time or investing the time to ‘get to know him.’
Krack, who took charge of the team in 2022, adds that he was impressed with Stroll and believes the Canadian driver deserves his place.
« It’s easy to put someone like that in a drawer and say ‘it’s someone who’s there because his father put him there’. And that’s not true. It’s a very good driver and I think it shows when the conditions are difficult. In difficult conditions you often see who are the good ones and who are the ones who may not be so strong. »
« It’s interesting because when it rains, Lance is there. Always. That tells us that maybe we should look a little more in detail than just saying ‘he’s in this tub because’… »
Lance Stroll has benefited a lot from his association with Sebastian Vettel since last year according to Krack
« Seb has helped him a lot. I think it’s the first time he has a multiple winner, a world champion next to him. He sees how to approach things, how Sebastian approaches a race weekend or the comments he makes. When Sebastian talks, Lance listens. »
« But he also asks questions because he wants to learn from what Sebastian is saying. He’ll ask him ‘what do you mean with that?’ or ‘Do you also have this or that feeling?’ Very pertinent questions. »
« So I think he takes advantage of it. From that point of view, it’s also the reason why Seb is not alone in his car, but it’s an asset for the team and for Lance. »
