Once considered one of the most underrated F1 drivers, Lance Stroll has come under severe criticism for his repeated poor performance this season. The Canadian-Belgian F1 driver has often been accused of making his way into the sport just because of his billionaire father who has been purchasing racing teams for years to secure a seat for his son. However, with three podium finishes and a pole position to his name, Stroll has proven that he deserves to be in F1, fighting it out with the best. Yet, the 24-year-old looks visibly distraught this year, especially in the Qatar GP where he was seen tossing the steering wheel out of his F1 race car and even shoving his fitness coach in the team garage. There have been rumors that his lack of motivation to continue in the sport has forced Lawrence Stroll to think about selling the team to a Saudi public fund. However, if Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 World Champion, is to be believed, Stroll Jr. was never ever interested in racing.
Villeneuve recently made a bold claim, severely criticizing Stroll’s commitment to F1 and offering an insight into his privileged upbringing. The former world champion was a long-time neighbor of the Strolls in their hometown of Montreal and has closely observed the family. Villeneuve claims it was always Stroll Jr. always lacked motivation but his father pushed him to pursue a racing career at a very early stage.
Lawrence even built a karting facility for his son to hone his skills, but the Aston Martin driver won’t even show interest in walking to the track. Speaking to F1 Insider, Villeneuve said: “Lawrence built his own kart track for his son, which was only a 15-minute walk from the house. Nevertheless, Lance covered the distance every day by helicopter.”
Interestingly, the Former F1 world champion’s views were backed up by an unnamed “insider, who previously held a position of responsibility on a team.” He remembers being surprised by “such an interested father and such a disinterested son.” These allegations make Stroll Jr. sound like a spoilt child of a billionaire who has been forced into doing something he really doesn’t like. It’ll be interesting to see if Lance will be convinced by his father to stay in F1 for another season or if he will end up selling the Aston Martin F1 team, which has produced a string of brilliant results this season courtesy of Fernando Alonso.
A peek into Lawrence Stroll’s ultra-opulent lifestyle
The Canadian billionaire followed in the footsteps of his father, fashion importer Leo Strulovitch (Stroll is short for Strulovitch), and made his fortune in the world of fashion. While Stroll’s father brought Pierre Cardin and Ralph Lauren clothing to Canada, Stroll took the Ralph Lauren brand to Europe. He heavily invested in clothing designers Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors along with Hong Kong investor Silas Chou, and contributed to the brands’ growth to global prominence. Currently, he is part-owner and executive chairman of Aston Martin, and the owner of the Aston Martin F1 Team. According to Forbes, Stroll has a net worth of $3.9 billion.
Stroll loves to splurge his fortune in acquiring expensive toys. While he once owned a $200 million superyacht that hosted guests like Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, the Canadian billionaire has reportedly commissioned a much bigger and more expensive vessel. Furthermore, Stroll also has a prominent vintage Ferrari collection, which includes a Ferrari 250 GTO worth $70 million.
