EXCLUSIVE: Lance Stroll on life as F1's freshman
By Josh KruseFollow @JoshKruseF1 on Twitter
Crash.net
Welcome to Monaco, the jewel in the F1 crown - what's your experience of the place?
Lance Stroll:
I've been here twice. I came last year and a few years before that. I've been around the area, like Nice, Cannes, a bit for a couple of days, just on holiday really.
Crash.net
From F3 to F1... it's a big leap by anyone's standards, so - in your words - how have you found your initiation?
Lance Stroll:
The whole experience in Formula 1 is obviously unique and special, the new cars are definitely a beast to drive, these new regulations are quite a handful, but it's a good challenge. I think all the drivers are enjoying the challenge, and the whole experience, the travelling around the world, racing cars and the circuits that come with it, every race weekend is definitely an amazing experience.
Crash.net
What are your goals for the rest of the season - what will leave you happy once Abu Dhabi rolls around?
Lance Stroll:
I just want to keep improving myself race by race. I want to be quicker, I want to get better results for the team, but if I'm going to do that I have to just focus on the path that comes to me. I can't put a number in my head and say, 'I want to be fifth or sixth', I need to focus on every little thing I need to do, and then it will come together. I'm really just taking it race by race but obviously I want to be the best I can be. I want to arrive at the end of the season and no matter what, look back on the season and have no regrets, I want to put everything I'm capable of on the table.
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Have you enjoyed the experience of working alongside the hugely experienced Felipe Massa, or would you prefer to forge your own path?
Lance Stroll:
I think a bit of both. It's important to use Felipe as a reference in the right way, but at the end of the day it's about you getting in the car and doing what you've got to do. I definitely like having him around and I think it's good for the team having him around, but at the end of the day I have to focus on myself and do a good job.
Crash.net
Can you see a lot of your driving style in Felipe's?
Lance Stroll:
No, I think all drivers have their own little ways of driving that are different. We have our different driving styles, but I need to use him in a way that I can improve myself and adapt to Formula 1, because it's very different to anything I've ever done before.
Crash.net
You've said you don't need a driver coach and that you have people around you, so tell me what goes on in a race weekend for you and the people around you? Is there some chill time or do you spend too much time looking at the numbers?
Lance Stroll:
A little bit of both, you look through data and you do what you got to do on the technical side, then you try and take a few minutes here and there to yourself and soak in all the information. The weekends are very busy, we're always running around, it's definitely hectic. But you have to find a good balance in the weekend, you have to do the work that's necessary with the engineers to improve the car and yourself, and you also have to take some time for yourself to relax and get ready for the race.
Crash.net
What sneaky allowances do you give yourself during a race weekend?
Lance Stroll:
I like going into my room with a couple of friends and stuff, put on some music and relax, sing, dance or whatever! It's just to disconnect and have a bit of fun and have a laugh, I think that's important. When I just sit there and be all serious I start thinking and it starts bothering me, so you just have some fun before the race starts.
Crash.net
What are the top three artists that get played in your room?
Lance Stroll:
That's tough! It's either like... it really depends on the vibe. It's either rap, deep house, soft rock sometimes. It varies.
Crash.net
Rattle off some songs...
Lance Stroll:
Hmm..., I would say probably The Rolling Stones. Hard Sun, Gimmie Shelter. With rap, it's a lot of Drake, some of the older stuff as well. Deep house we listen to some DJs and stuff.
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Do you have a race weekend you have enjoyed more than others?
Lance Stroll:
There's been a few. Definitely the ones where you lock up the championship, those are the ones to remember. I was actually thinking about this earlier this week funny you say, I was thinking my top five best race weekends of my life. I would say Imola in Formula 3 when I won the European championship and locked it up, that was a great weekend. Vallelunga in Formula 4 when I won the Formula 4 championship, and then New Zealand, I think it was in Palmerson, we locked up the championship there and that was a great weekend. In karting back in the day, Las Vegas, when we won the TAG juniors, that was a big race back then, and we won in Las Vegas. That was quite a cool weekend.
Crash.net
Have you come across any particularly difficult opponents?
Lance Stroll:
It's tough to say, because a lot of it depends on a level playing field, you have to put yourself in the same shoes as other opponents - it's hard to compare with people who have a lot of experience. I definitely think in Formula 3, the quickest guy, the guy that impressed me the most was Felix Rosenqvist. He was my team-mate in 2015 and he is a very good driver, but in Formula 1 there's a lot of competition and it's hard to pick out one name.
Crash.net
What was your childhood like growing up? How did you mix karting with school?
Lance Stroll:
I grew up in Canada in Montreal, and I lived there until the age of 12. I grew up like a kid grows up I went to school, had my friends and stuff, and got into karting at eight-years-old for fun, just racing on the weekends and stuff, then it got more and more serious every year. When I was 12 I moved over to Europe to compete internationally, I moved to Geneva, Switzerland. My whole family moved with me and we built a life in Geneva. I mixed school and then I was home-schooled for a couple of years from 13 until I recently finished.
Crash.net
What was your favourite subject and what was the worst subject?
Lance Stroll:
I had a lot of bad ones! Probably math I would say. Math was a killer, not the street-smart math, but the algebra, calculus, that stuff was a killer for me. Science as well was tough. I was always good at Gym! Gym classes were good, but school really wasn't my thing, but I did it, got through it, it's definitely important.
Crash.net
Who were your racing heroes growing up?
Lance Stroll:
Probably Michael Schumacher, he was my hero growing up as a kid. Watching F1 he was the guy winning races, he was a champion when I was a kid, so he was my idol.
Crash.net
When you're not at a race weekend, what are you doing?
Lance Stroll:
Completely disconnecting. I go places, what's great living in Europe is there's so many options close by. So in the summer going around Spain, France, Greece, it's so beautiful, it's such a great place to live. I just try and get away with friends, go places, new places, I love travelling outside of races.
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Do you have a favourite place?
Lance Stroll:
I love Greece, it's really cool in the summer. The Caribbean is great, but I also love the mountains as well, I'm a big skier and I love spending time in Switzerland skiing, it really depends. I like the beach in the summer and the mountains in the winter.
Crash.net
If you didn't take up karting, what do you think you would be doing?
Lance Stroll:
That's tough! I think I would go to university, I would study and figure out what would appeal to me. For the moment I don't know, I love music so maybe production. I love sports so maybe some kind of management in a way, but it's so tough to say, I'd have to go to school and figure it out. I'm still an 18-year-old kid, I think a lot of 18-year-olds don't know what they want to do!
Crash.net
Favourite sports team?
Lance Stroll:
New York Giants in Football and the Montreal Canadians in Hockey. I try and go to a game once a year, in November when it's off-season.
Crash.net
Finally, what are the 3 emojis you are most likely to use?
Lance Stroll:
The top three is the 'all is OK finger' that's just good. The little kissy face with the heart - depends who! And I think the winky face is up there, that's a classic, you can use it anywhere.
Crash.net
Thanks for your time
Lance Stroll:
All good, that was a fun one!
