Damon Hill regrets questioning Lance Stroll’s dedication to his F1 career

Lance Stroll suffered a cycling accident in pre-season but raced in Bahrain despite injuries

Damon Hill regrets questioning Lance Stroll’s dedication to his F1 career

Damon Hill and Lance Stroll

Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll earned the praise of pundits and fans alike with his result at the first race of the season after his comeback from a severe injury he suffered in a freak accident while cycling in Spain. He was initially expected to miss several races in the season, but showed his passion and desire by racing regardless of his injuries and brought home an admirable P6.

Stroll’s commitment to the sport was previously questioned by pundit and analyst Damon Hill. However, persevering in Bahrain and racing despite his injuries, Stroll proved to Hill and the F1 community that he was a fierce competitor. Hill told the F1 Nation podcast, “I think the question has been whether Lance has been 100 percent committed to this career, in his mind”

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He added, “I get the sense that sometimes he’s felt, ‘I don’t know if I want to be doing this now’. His comeback, after the broken wrist thing, was evidence that he wasn’t going to let a setback deprive him of his opportunity to get his hands on that car and race it. So I think that was a good indicator of his desire to compete.”. Hill went on to emphasize the importance of passion and the role it plays in enthusiasm, along with praising Lance’s maturity and experience.

Related: Sebastian Vettel reveals his true feelings on watching Fernando Alonso thrive in Aston Martin

Lance Stroll is slowly starting to live up to his potential

Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll(via PlanetF1)

The Canadian debuted in Formula One in 2017 for Williams, with his father, billionaire Lawrence Stroll reportedly paying the team $80 Million to take him on board. In that very season, he finished on the podium and became the youngest rookie to step on it. He was also the second youngest driver after Max Verstappen to be on the podium.

The former Formula 3 champion has been subject to scrutiny due to the role of nepotism in his career, with many believing he only harbors a seat in the sport due to the financial contribution of his father. The young Canadian, however, has secured a pole position along with 3 podiums in his career despite racing for majorly lower midfield teams in an era of Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull dominance of the top spots.

Nothing answered his critics questioning his commitment to the sport better than racing in Bahrain through the pain, along with securing 2 positive results out of 3 races. The Aston Martin is a formidable car this season, having found the podium in every race. Needless to say, if Stroll continues maturing and with the same passion, motivation, and conviction, it is safe to say he will find himself on the podium again sooner or later, as he possesses the potential and skill to do so.

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