As a two-time world champion, during his long career Fernando Alonso has earned a reputation for being an extremely competitive and ruthless driver when it comes to achieving his goals on the track.
But while there have been occasions where his tactics have caused political trouble within the teams he has raced for, Lance Stroll believes the arrival of someone willing to push him to the limit could be a positive.
“It’s not fun when you go around without anyone pushing you,” said the Canadian when asked by Motorsport.com about the impact of the Spaniard’s arrival.
“I think what you want in a teammate is a guy who is at the top. It means when you get more than him, you’re really at the top of your game, and vice versa.”
“When you’re not at your best, it’s not like you can just sit back and relax. You have to try and work harder.”
“I think that’s what you want from the team at the end of the day, and also for them to know if you’re pushing each other, always pulling everything out of the car and the package.”
Stroll explained how he didn’t know Alonso all that well prior to his arrival at Aston Martin, imagining what the experience of working alongside him might be like.
“We spent some time together, chatting and stuff like that on drivers parades and everything. He’s a great guy and he’s a great driver, a great talent,” Stroll added.
“It’s always interesting and exciting when someone like him, or like Seb [Vettel]comes to the team and has different ideas, or drives differently, and maybe wants different things in the car.”
“It’s always interesting to hear what riders with that kind of experience have to say. In that sense, I’m looking forward to having him in the team and working with him.”
Vettel’s lesson
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Stroll spent two seasons at Aston Martin alongside Vettel. The Canadian believes he benefited from the experience: “I think he was great. He’s a very experienced and very talented driver. A four-time champion, so that says it all.”
“It was really a lot of fun. I mean, it was a rival on the track, but I think it really pushed me to understand different things, like how to go through the weekend, how to adjust my work ethic and be a better driver.”
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“I definitely learned a lot from him in that regard, just by watching how he runs his stuff.”
“He certainly also helped push the team forward and brought some ideas from his past experience in other top teams, such as Ferrari and Red Bull.”
“I think he was amazing. Plus, on top of all that stuff, he’s a great guy out of the car. He’s super nice. And that makes the seasons [passate con lui] more pleasant.”
