Lance Stroll is from Canada, he is only 17 and he is already enjoying contracts with Formula 1 teams. Last year he was working with Ferrari and this season he is a development driver in Williams, what is preparing him for a graduation to the F1 field. Now he races in Formula 3 but he doesn't see any reasons why wouldn't he miss next junior series like Max Verstappen did and make a direct step to Formula 1, what has always been his dream. Many people think that his achievements are determined by the financial support he gets from his family's business, however when they look at Lance's results, they usually change their mind. There is no doubt about it. Although he has a tight schedule, fulfilled with both racing and school responsibilities, he found some time for a conversation with us that we are happy to show you now!
Wojtek Paprota: Lance, you are 17 and I think that you are already pretty much into the racing world and generally the racing business as last year you were a Ferrari development driver and this year you moved to Williams for the same position. How do you find yourself in this world? Can you honestly say that there is no place you could rather be?
Lance Stroll: Yes, I really like the racing world. Ever since I was 8 years old and I started racing I was very competitive and I have always enjoyed this competition in racing and it has always been my passion. Cars, fighting at the track, working off track, it has always been something I want to do. I have always loved F1, I have always loved the motorsport and today going through all I steps I went through, like go-karts in Canada, go-karts in Europe, moving to cars, working with Ferrari, now being in Williams is really amazing. I have already accomplished a lot, more than I could imagine 10 years ago and I think there is even much more to come, but at this moment, I think I am in a great place.
Wojtek: You have already won Italian Formula 4, Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand and you also got some solid results in Formula 3 last season and this year I think that you are by far one of the fastest drivers and title contenders. Do you think that you are on a good way towards the Formula 1?
Lance: Yes, exactly. I think that I have a solid career in single sitters and hopefully Formula 1 in the near future. Winning the championships in the past and last year being the second rookie were good results and that is the key to do that. This year, of course, the goal is to win the championship. At the moment we are definitely on track, we are involved in Williams F1 Team that believes in the young drivers, they believe in me and I believe in them so that's a great relationship between us. At the moment, I think that my focus is really on Formula 3 and being able to perform as well as I can. I am sure that it will bring me great things in the future.
Wojtek: Do feel any kind of pressure due to the fact that you gained a bit of publicity and mediality from being a development driver in Ferrari and now in Williams?
Lance: No, I don't think we can call it pressure. Of course, there is more media around, more this kind of stuff but It is part of the trend in the racing drivers' careers. It is not really pressure. I do it for myself, and I only put the pressure on myself because I want to perform, I want to be competitive and I want to do well. It is mostly my own pressure rather that from outside. I have a great group of people around me who believe in me, I work with the good teams like Williams and Prema and I think there is no external pressure. I just enjoy what I do and I put a self-pressure on myself to perform.
Wojtek: Do you think that there is the right time to get contracted by an F1 team? Isn't it too early?
Lance: No, I think it is a very good time when you are in a Formula 3. Honestly, we are already very close to Formula 1, it is a very high level of racing, so learning all of these things at the young age is very helpful for the future.
Wojtek: What kind of advantages you get from being a development driver in a Formula 1 team, what your colleagues from F3 don't? How helpful is that for you now?
Lance: I think it is different. I think we need to separate it. Being a development driver lets me learn more about the Formula 1. I learn how the work looks in Williams and it doesn't have much in common with F3. It is a different world. It just gives me more knowledge about being a racing driver in all areas and I just become a better racing driver overall.
Wojtek: Max Verstappen made it into the Formula 1 after completing only one season in Formula 3. Do you think that you will be ready for such a step after this season?
Lance: I have to see. I have never driven an F1 car yet so I don't know what it is like. I don't know the difficulties it takes to be competitive in Formula 1 but I don't see why not. Williams is preparing me as well as possible for that to happen and that is the case. When the opportunity comes and when Williams believes that I am ready and I feel ready then it would be the right time. Every driver is different, as we saw Max did it easily but some drivers take a year longer and some drivers even longer so we will see.
Wojtek: I know that there is pretty early days now, but do you already think about your next step, not exactly to Formula 1?
Lance: Not really. I think that Formula 3 is my main target as I mentioned. It is very competitive and it takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of commitment to win the championship so at the moment I am really focused on that thing. If I do my job properly this year and hopefully win the championship, I think then I will consider the next step and think about that.
Wojtek: Most of your colleagues from junior series still attempt to high school or university. How does it look in your case? Have you already fully sacrifice your life for racing or you have any kind of option B if anything going wrong in your career?
Lance: At the moment I am still in high school and finishing up my last year. I have to pass all the exams to finish my high school and after that I will have my high school diploma and if ever in the future I would like to go to the university I will have that option. I think it is very important to have a plan B in case the racing doesn't work out the way you planned. It is a good thing to have.
Wojtek: Being from Canada is highly probably that you might have planned to reach an IndyCar field I think. However, you decided to move out to Europe and try to chase and F1 dream. Why?
Lance: Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and IndyCar is also good, but not as good as Formula 1. F1 is the highest level around the world, it is global and it has been my dream since I was a little boy and IndyCar just wasn't.
Wojtek: You are racing in Prema, a team that joined GP2 series this season and I think that they already look very professional although they have just started their adventure in this category. How does your cooperation look in Formula 3?
Lance: Clearly they are a very professional team and they won 5 championships in Formula 3 in the last 5 years so it shows that they are very strong in F3 and I think they will be stong in GP2 as well. It is cool being with a team like Prema, not only on track with the car but also off track, working with the mechanics and engineers. We are very close with each other, almost like a family. It definitely helps being in a team like Prema. They trust me and I trust them and having that kind of relationship since I started in Formula 4 is a massive benefit. I have always been in the same group of people which is very comfortable.
Wojtek: Who is your best mentor and somebody whose way your try to follow up and you look up for?
Lance: I have a lot of respect for Sebastian Vettel as I look today in Formula 1. Of course, I have a respect for all the top drivers, they are all very good. I really like Vettel because I think moving from a team like Red Bull to Ferrari created a lot of pressure. People doubted his abilities but I think he is very strong, honest and he is always outcompeting his team-mates which I am very impressed. He managed to handle everything around although there was a big pressure. Working with a team like Ferrari with a lot of press, a lot of expectations is a really difficult task and I really respect what he is doing. I think that he is a very good overall sportsman and I really admire him.
Wojtek: As far as I know your dad is also a great person, world-class businessman, and your major sponsor. Do you feel safe baring in mind that you will probably never struggle with finding business partners who would like to sponsor your career?
Lance: Yes, of course. I am very fortunate to have that kind of dad, who supports me. I don't want to relay only on him. I want to do well for myself. Of course, this sport takes a lot of money to compete, it is very expensive, everyone knows it and fortunately the one who helps me the most is my father. Obviously, it doesn't change the fact that I don't want to make my own mark and be able to be one of the best drivers in the future and get the sponsorship by my own because I deserve it. I think that that is already starting slowly acting. I showed in Formula 4 where I won the championship, in Formula 3 last year when I finished among the best rookies and 5th overall, also by winning in New Zealand. It is not only my father who is helping me, because when I am going on track I can only relay on myself. I am able to compete with the other drivers in the front and I am able to win races and championships. Of course, it is really helpful to have that financial support but I think it takes all sort of factors to compete at the highest level. Money plays a big role but it is not only about it. As I said, I am very fortunate to have my father here and I am very grateful for that.
Wojtek: I totally agree with you. At the moment, you are in the place when skills are crucial and money is not that important as it is in Formula 1. I think that so far you are doing really good and you have already proved your skills in the lower categories, but can you honestly say that your results were not determined by the financial support but your talent and a hard work?
Lance: Yes, first of all, thank you, I appreciate the kindness. I think I definitely have the luck to have a financial support because not everyone has that. It just makes the life easier but I work very hard off the track and sometimes people don't give me credit for that but to be honest I don't mind that. Maybe it is difficult for some people to accept that I can be good on the track and they only look at money and say what they say. The best athletes in the world always have some jealousy by people outside and they are always looking for excuses whey they are doing well and performing. I try to not really look at that kind of activities. I work as hard as I can on and off track and then, in the end, I do as well as I can. I really try to believe that there is not all about the money. I believe that there is also a lot of hard work that we are putting into to get the great results. It is a combination of everything. You need a whole package to be the best. As simple as that, you need everything.
Wojtek: Do you have a way to F1 planned?
Lance: Well, I have no idea yet. I just have to wait and see and do my best in F3.
