The Canadian pilot, declared a fan of Michael Schumacher, recalled what the Asturian represented for him in his childhood. Both also recalled his first conversation at the beginning of the last decade: “Let’s see if we meet again one day at Ferrari.”
The arrival of Fernando Alonso to the formation of Aston Martin in 2023 will generate one of the most unexpected pairings in modern Formula 1. Just as Ayrton Senna had Johnny Dumfries, Michael Schumacher had JJ Lehto, Jim Clark had Mike Spence… it will be the case that the two-time Spanish champion has Lance Stroll to the less flashy partner of his sports career, with the permission of Tarso Marques.
Even more striking is the generation gap that separates both competitorssince Alonso, born in 1981, was doing his first tests with single-seaters when Stroll was born in October 1998. Therefore, the Canadian became fond of a Formula 1 in which the Spaniard was the undisputed star and protagonist… in against Stroll’s own interests as a declared fan of Michael Schumacher.
“It was like in the movies, he was the bad guy for me!”
In response to questions from the media before the Italian Grand Prix, the 23-year-old driver recalled how his preferences placed Alonso in a very particular position from his perspective: “I was a follower of Schumacher, (Alonso) was ‘the bad guy’ for me!”he exclaimed between laughs. “She was about six years old, and she was… yeah, like in the movies, the villain». A position that reflects the division of the time between those who supported the change of cycle that Alonso represented or followed the side of the popular ‘kaiser’.
Even so, Stroll did not miss an opportunity to highlight the figure of his future partner, with whom he will share a team for at least the next two years. “Anyway, it’s always been very exciting and fun to watch. It still is; I mean, he is one of the best pilots out there, still fighting at 41 years old». They both had much less when they first metan anecdote that was also commented.
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Alonso’s unexpected premonition about Stroll
Lawrence Stroll’s deep connections at the time with Ferrari made the young Lance frequent the Scuderia’s entourage, especially during visits to Canada. At the time of the arrival of Fernando Alonso in 2010, Stroll was already part of the Ferrari Driver Academy at the age of 11, and had the opportunity to speak and be photographed with both Alonso and Felipe Massain a picture that would be repeated in following years.
Fernando himself alluded to that first meeting the promontory of the words he spoke: «I think we were talking about Ferrari, and I told him that I was not sure how long he would be in the team. I told: ‘You are 10 years old, so let’s see if we meet again one day at Ferrari’. Back then, maybe I didn’t plan to stay in Formula 1 for that long, so I’m happy to share a team with him. We have known each other for more than 12 or 13 years, also with Lawrence.
One of the public domain photos in which a young Stroll poses with Alonso and Massa.
talented and shocked
“What if, I think he is very talented, we see peaks from time to time», He added, aware of the continuous run-run that surrounds the figure of Stroll as a driver who reached Formula 1 based on driving for the best junior teams with large sums of money involved. «When I spoke to him at Spa, he had been fourth on Friday.and maybe on Saturday it wasn’t as fast, but I think there is potential.
“That was the first time I saw him. I think she was 10 years old, and Not many words came out of my mouth, because I was in shock from the experience.», added Stroll, who later added in an accomplice way: «I think I could have warned him… He will do well, he is a great pilot. The upcoming season is exciting, the people in the factory are working very hard, and there is a lot for next year.”
Photos: Aston Martin F1 Medium