Aston Martin

Alonso outlines Stroll's WEAKNESS keeping him from podium places

Fernando Alonso believes consistency is key for his Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll

Jay Winter

Friday 16 June 2023 17:57

F1 star Fernando Alonso believes that consistency is the key to taking his Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll to the next level and positioning him as a contender for podium finishes.

Stroll, who has been under pressure to deliver results, particularly from his father Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin's chairman, has set ambitious targets for the Canadian driver to secure a double podium at his home race, the Canadian Grand Prix.

Alonso, who has been a vocal supporter of the young Canadian since joining Aston Martin this season, has emphasised the importance of consistency in Stroll's performances.

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“I think that consistency is going to be the next step in his career," explained the Spaniard in Montreal

"To be constantly fighting for the top five and then at the end of the year, you see the amount of points that you gain when you get all the weekends right.

“With the motivation, the commitment that he has, and the team that Aston Martin is building now, I think it’s a matter of time that this will come.”

Alonso's remarkable contribution of 99 points this season constitutes 73.9% of Aston Martin's total of 134 points, surpassing their combined tally from the previous four years (132)

Alonso loves Lance

While Alonso has outperformed Stroll in qualifying and race results in all rounds except the Spanish Grand Prix, he spoke highly of the 24-year-old's driver's abilities, highlighting instances where Stroll showcased his talent and passion for the sport.

“I’ve known Lance since 2012. Actually I met him here in one of the Ferrari events when he was in the Academy," he said

“I think Lance is showing the speed in the car, the commitment, we saw at the beginning of the year as well, racing with a broken hand and things like that.

“You only see when you really have passion for something that you’re doing."

Alonso asserts that once Stroll achieves the desired level of consistency, he will become a formidable force in F1.

“I think, for him, the most important thing now is to get the consistency, weekend after weekend," said the two-time world champion.

"I think we saw many times in the past, sparks of Lance, in wet qualifying, in races, at the starts, lap one performance, these kinds of things that are outstanding.

“And then, some other weekends that the result was not coming or you get in a bad loop in Qualifying, so something like that, and then the weekend is a little bit compromised.”

With Mercedes expecting a tougher test in Montreal following their double podium in Spain, this is an ideal weekend for Stroll to grab his first podium of the season in front of his home crowd.