Lance Stroll is clearly not a big supporter of the new regulations in place in Formula 1 this season, and he made sure to limit expectations of Aston Martin on Thursday.
Posted at 12:22 p.m.
The 23-year-old Stroll will take part in the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, the first of a season that will matter – if all goes well, which is far from certain due to the COVID pandemic. -19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine — 22 races.
The sample is still thin, since the 12 teams on the set have only taken part in two winter test sessions, in Barcelona and Bahrain, but the Quebecer has already drawn certain conclusions.
And they look pretty ugly.
“The car is much heavier, and honestly it’s the m* * * *. It’s too heavy. The handling of the car is very different (from last year). It’s very stiff as a pilot, it’s not as fluid as before,” Stroll first mentioned in a videoconference from Bahrain.
“The tires are different, the visibility is worse — it’s harder to see the corners with the new (18-inch) tires — and the biggest difference is the weight. It (the car) is so heavy that it deprives us of the pleasure of driving, ”he continued.
In short, the hopes of parity that he based on the overhaul of the regulations at the end of the last season were in reality, according to him, only a smokescreen.
“Everyone will have to think about it when the next change in regulations is made. If we continue in this direction, they will no longer be incredible Formula 1 cars to drive,” he said dryly.
The Mont-Tremblant driver, who is already entering his sixth season in F1, therefore has no illusions about the place that Aston Martin will occupy in the hierarchy of 2022.
“From what I saw during winter testing, the Red Bull and Ferrari teams seem very strong. The Mercedes team seems to be in trouble, but who knows? She will probably find solutions, after all she has won the last eight constructors’ championships. So, I expect there to be a few teams above the rest,” he explained.
“There won’t be seven or eight teams that can aspire to victory every race weekend. I would like there to be parity in Formula 1, that four or five teams could fight each weekend for the podium or the victory, but with the changes of regulations and the history (in F1), there is no There’s usually only one or two teams that can aspire to it,” he recalled.
Stroll, who has recorded a top position and three podiums in 100 career F1 starts, therefore did not want to set specific targets for 2022.
“It will depend on the car. I want to extract the maximum potential from it. If she can get me to victory or a podium then that’s what I want to do, but if she can’t get me further than 12and or 10and place, then I want to finish 12and or 10and. It’s still too early to have expectations,” he said.
Stroll, however, seems delighted with the prospect of being able to shoot on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit as part of the Grand Prix du Canada for the first time in three years, between June 17 and 19.
“It’s been too long since we’ve been to Montreal. A season is never the same without the Canadian Grand Prix. I look forward to this race every season. It’s really nice to be able to go home, to see my friends and family. I have fond memories of the Canadian Grand Prix of 2017 (his first) and 2019 (he cracked the top-10). I have very good memories on this track, one of my favorites, and it will be good to go back there”, he admitted.
Separately, Stroll’s teammate Sebastian Vettel tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and as a result will not be able to compete in the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend. The German, quadruple world champion, will be replaced by his compatriot Nico Hülkenberg.