Formula 1 news: Lance Stroll hoping Fernando Alonso's attitude will rub off on Aston Martin
- Planet Sport writer
- 31 January 2023
Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll is looking forward to working with new teammate Fernando Alonso and is expecting his straightforward, no-nonsense attitude to be a boom for the team.
Alonso joined the team after leaving Alpine in accrimonious circumstances last season and his abbrasive attitude has caused plenty of issues with teammates and rivals alike in the paddock over the years.
However, that cutthroat edge is something that is sorely lacking at Aston Martin, according to Stroll.
"It's no fun when you're just kind of driving around with no one pushing you," he told Motorsport.com.
"What you want in a teammate is a guy that is at the top of his game. It means that when you get more out of it than him you're really at the top of your game, and vice versa.
"When you're not getting the most out of it, it's not that you can just sit back and relax," he added. "You've got to try and work harder.
"That's what you want from the team at the end of the day," he continued. "And also for them to know if you guys are pushing each other and always getting everything out of the car and the package."
The comments could be seen as a thinly-veiled dig at his former teammate Sebstastian Vettel, who was a shadow of his former self throughout the 2022 season.
And he is clearly excited about the prospect of working with Alonso.
"We've spent some time together, just chatting and stuff on drivers parades and all that," said Stroll. "He's a nice guy and he's a great driver, a big talent.
"It's always interesting and exciting when someone like him - or like Seb - comes to the team and has different ideas, or drives in a different way, and maybe wants different things in the car.
"It's always interesting to hear what guys with that kind of experience have to say.," he explained. "In that sense, I'm definitely looking forward to having him in the team and working with him."
